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Itheological  seminary, f 

f  Princeton,  N.  J.  | 

scc#ii7iii        ~ 

Moffat,  Robeit,  1795-1883. 

Mssionary  labours  and  scenes  in  Southerr 

/vIHca.  I 


MISSIONARY 


LABOURS  AND  SCENES 


IN 


SOUTHERN  AFRICA, 


iki 


BY  ROBERT  MOFFAT, 

TWENTY-THREE    YEARS    AN   AGENT   OF   THE    LONDON   MISSIONARY 
SOCIETY    IN   THAT    CONTINENT. 


NEW  YORK : 
ROBERT  CARTER,  58  CANAL  STREET. 


1843. 


BTKRKOTYPKD  BY  SMITH  AND  WRIGHT,  COR.  FULTON  AND  GOLD  STRKKT3, 

NKW  YORK. 

UNIVERSITY  PRESS. 
JOHN    F.    TROW,   PRINTER. 


PREFACE. 


Thk  writer  offers  the  following  pages  to  the  churches  of  his  country  as 
an  humble  contribution  to  their  stock  of  knowledge  relative  to  heathen 
lands.  It  contains  a  faithful  record  of  events  which  have  occurred  with- 
in the  range  of  his  experience  and  observation,  and  supplies  much  that 
may  serve  to  illustrate  the  peculiar  attributes  of  African  society.  It  may, 
he  ventures  to  hope,  tend  niaterially  to  promote  the  study  of  the  philo- 
sophy of  missions.  It  will  furnish  both  the  Sage  and  the  Divine  with 
facts  for  which  perhaps  they  were  not  prepared,  and  exhibit  phases  of 
humanity  which  they  have  not  hitherto  observed.  It  will  further  show 
that,  amid  circumstantial  differences  there  is  a  radical  identity  in  the 
operations  of  human  depravity,  in  Asia,  in  Polynesia,  and  in  Africa;  and 
that  while  the  Gospel  is  the  only,  it  is  also  the  uniform  remedy  for  the 
distress  of  a  world  convulsed  by  sin,  and  writhing  with  anguish.  It  will 
present  striking  examples  of  the  complete  subjugation  of  some  of  the 
fiercest  spirits  that  ever  trod  the  burning  sands  of  Africa,  or  shed  the 
blood  of  her  sable  offspring. 

The  Writer  has  indulged  but  slightly  in  philosophical  disquisition,  as 
he  deemed  it  his  province  principally  to  supply  facts.  He  leaves  it  with 
men  of  leisure  and  reflecting  habits  to  analyze,  compare,  and  deduce  from 
those  facts  such  doctrines  as  they  supply.  Indeed,  little  in  this  way  can 
be  added  to  the  luminous  works  of  Drs.  Campbell  and  Harris,  and 
Messrs.  Hamilton,  Noel,  and  others,  by  whom  the  subject  of  Missions 
has  been  so  learnedly  and  eloquently  illustrated.  He  hopes  no  apology 
will  be  deejued  necessary  for  any  imperfections  which  may  appear  in  the 
preparation  of  his  Narrative.  The  collocation  of  terms,  and  the  polish 
of  periods  have  made  but  a  small  part  of  his  studies.  Such  pursuits,  he 
conceives,  were  not  the  objects  for  which  he  was  sent  to  Africa,  and  they 
would  have  but  ill  comported  with  the  circumstances  in  which  he  spent  a 
large  portion  of  his  arduous  life  on  that  benighted  continent.  He  feels 
confident  that  lettered  men  will  look  into  the  pages  of  an  African  Evan- 
gelist for  things  far  more  substantial  and  important  than  the  graces  of 
composition — an  accomplishment  which  the  Author  much  admires,  but 
to  which  he  makes  no  pretension.  He  makes  his  present  appearance  be- 
fore the  British  public  less  in  the  capacity  of  an  Author  than  of  a  W 
ness,  who  most  earnestly  desires  to  establish  and  to  enforce  the  claims  ■ 

Eerishing,  and  helpless,  and  all  but  friendless  millions,  for  whom  he  h 
itherto  lived  and  laboured — whom  he  ardently  loves,  and  with  whom 
all  black,  barbarous,  and  benighted- as  they  are — he  hopes  to  live,  iaboi 
and  die ! 

Inured  to  active  habits,  and  unaccustomed  to  sedentary  pursuits  as  t 
Writer  has  been,  he  has  found  the  preparation  of  the  present  volume, 
addition  to  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  and  of  other  books,  and  t 
almost  unremitting  labours  of  the  pulpit  and  the  platform,  an  arduous 
undertaking.     This  task  has  been  attended  with  a  multiplicity  of  mental 


iV  PREFACE. 

exercises  of  a  very  diversified  character.  Some  of  these  exercises  have 
been  solemn  and  painful,  others  sweet  and  soothing.  He  has  been  led 
to  retrace  the  windings  of  a  long  and  chequered  pilgrimage,  and  to  Uve 
over  again  much  of  his  by-gone  life.  The  review  has,  in  many  parts, 
been  deeply  humbling,  but  in  all  highly  profitable.  It  has  been  refresh- 
ing to  recount  the  mercies  of  the  God  whom  he  serves,  which  have  been 
abundantly  vouchsafed  to  him  and  his  household  in  distant  climes,  and 
amid  savage  men.  He  has  also  ofttimes  rejoiced  in  spirit,  when  he  called 
to  mind  the  displays  of  Divine  grace,  which  have  attended  his  very  im- 
perfect efforts  to  save  the  lost,  and  to  benefit  those  who  had  no  benefactor. 
Of  time,  however,  he  has  often  been  reminded,  that,  as  much  is  gone, 
little  remains ;  while  even  that  little  trembles  in  the  balance  of  an  awful 
uncertainty.  Of  those  who  began  at  the  same  period  with  himself  the 
career  of  missionary  toil,  the  greater  number  have  sunk  into  the  grave ; 
and  not  a  few  of  those  who  followed  long  after,  have  also  been  gathered 
to  their  fathers.  He  is  especially  reminded  of  one,  much  honoured  and 
endeared,  whose  tragical  death,  of  all  others,  has  most  affected  him. 
John  Williams  and  he  were  accepted  by  the  Directors  at  the  same  time, 
and  designated  to  the  work  of  God,  at  Surrey  Chapel,  on  the  same  occa- 
sion. 1'he  fields  of  their  service  were  both  arduous,  although  of  a  widely 
different  character.  After  much  trial  and  many  dangers,  both  have  been 
permitted  to  return  to  their  native  land,  and  to  publish  narratives  of  their 
respective  labours.  Thus  far  they  run  parallel ;  but  here  they  part  com- 
pany. "  The  Martyr  of  Erromanga"  has  finished  his  course,  and  rests 
from  his  labours;  while  his  early  friend  still  lives  amidst  the  conflict. 
The  Writer  now  feels  that  his  work  in  England  is  done,  and  that  the 
spirit  of  the  stranger  and  the  pilgrim  is  stealing  powerfully  over  him.  He 
longs  once  more  to  brave  the  mighty  ocean ;  and  eagerly  anticipates  the 
hour  when  he  shall  again  reach  the  shores  of  his  adopted  country,  and 
appear  in  the  midst  of  the  children  of  the  Wilderness. 

Amidst  the  dangers  of  the  Deep,  and  the  trials  of  the  Desert,  the 
Author  will  reflect  with  satisfaction  upon  the  testimony  he  has  left  be- 
hind him  to  the  condition  and  claims  of  the  far  distant  tribes  of  South 
Africa.  He  is  not  without  hope  that  it  will,  in  some  measure,  serve  to 
give  him  an  interest  in  the  sympathies  and  prayers  of  the  Christian  public 
when  he  will  be  "far  hence  among  the  Gentiles."  He  leaves  it  to  the 
churches  of  Britain  as  a  memento  of  poor,  degraded  Africa.  He  hopes 
that  all  who  peruse  it,  reflecting  upon  that  unhappy  and  much  injured  re- 
mon,  will  feel  the  urgency  of  its  claims,  and  fervently  supplicate  the 
Throne  of  Grace  on  its  behalf! 

He  bequeaths  his  book  as  a  legacy  of  grateful  affection  to  the  multi- 
tudes of  all  classes,  from  whom  he  has  received  tokens  of  personal  kind- 
ness, which,  while  life  lasts,  he  will  ever  remember ;  and  as  an  expres- 
sion of  a  deep  solicitude  to  promote  the  diffusion  of  the  Gospel  in  that 
Continent  to  which  his  labours  have  been  more  especially  directed. 

R.  M. 
WcUioorth,  London, 

May  24,  1842. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAOB 

General  view  of  the  state  of  Africa — Attempts  to  explore — Supposed 
origin  of  the  Hottentots — How  population  extended — Origin  of  the 
Bushmen  tribes — Their  extent — Bechuana  Bushmen — Their  suf- 
fering and  degradation — Variety  of  dialect  accounted  for — The 
Tamahas — Melancholy  view  of  Bushman  country — The  Kafir 
origin  and  character — Countries  of  the  Basutos  and  Bechuanas — 
Namaquas  and  Damaras — Description  of  the  Karoo — A  dry  and 
barren  country 13 

CHAPTER  11. 

First  Mission  to  South  Africa — Mr.  Schmidt's  success — Mission  re- 
sumed— Mission  to  the  Kafirs — Dr.  Vanderkemp  leaves  Cape  Town 
— Enters  Kafir-land — Suspicions  of  the  Kafirs — Ignorance  of  the 
natives — The  Doctor's  colleague  leaves  him — The  Doctor's  devot- 
ed ness  and  humility — Gaika  solicits  him  to  make  rain — His  self- 
denial  and  perils — A  Hottentot  woman — Enmity  of  some  colonists 
— Awful  retribution — Kafir  mission  abandoned     .         .         .         .25 

CHAPTER  III. 

Dr.  Vanderkemp's  mission  commenced  among  the  Hottentots — The 
Governor's  kindness — The  station  attacked — Trying  circum- 
stances— Escape  to  Fort  Frederick — Bethelsdorp — Successes  of  Dr. 
V.'s  efforts — His  death  and  character — Character  continued — A  re- 
markable incident — Kat  River  mission — Kafir  mission  resumed — 
Affecting  scene — William's  death — Brownlee  finally  resumes  the 
mission — Effects  of  the  Gospel 34 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Bushmen  apply  for  teachers — Mr.  Kicherer  goes  to  Zak  River — Diffi- 
culties and  sacrifices — Liberality  of  the  farmers — The  mission  aban- 
doned— The  condition  of  the  Bushmen — Lichtenstein's  opinion — 
The  Bushmen's  resources  and  habits — Provoking  characteristics — 
Inhuman  practice — Mr.  Kicherer's  description — Cruelty  to  off- 
spring— Bushmen  possess  amiable  qualities — Missions  resumed  at 
Toornberg,  &c. — Missionaries  ordered  into  the  colony — Mr. 
Faure's  affecting  statement — Review  of  missions  to  the  Bushmen 
— Plan  recommended^-The  Bushmen  and  the  goats — Stratagem 
hunting 43 


Vi  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PAGH 

Geographical  position  of  Namaqua-land— When  first  visited  by  Mis- 
sionaries— Topography— Character  and  language  of  the  inhabi- 
tants— Influence°of  foreign  intercourse — Privations  of  the  first  mis- 
sionaries— Their  feehngs — They  cross  the  boundaries  of  the  colony 
— Cornelius  Kok — Commencement  of  labours — First  interview 
with  Africaner— His  ancestry — Oppressions— Revenge — The  ca- 
tastrophe—Africaner's escape  to  the  Orange  River— War  with  the 
Berends — A  testimony — Africaner  attacks  a  banditti — His  mode 
of  warfare — His  cattle  stolen — He  storms  the  assailants — Nicholas 
Berend 54 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Missionaries  settle  at  Warm  Bath — The  people  of  their  charge — 
Africaner  joins  the  mission — Death  of  A.  Albrecht — Pleasing 
prospects  blasted — Murder  of  Hans  Drayer — Painful  dilemma — 
Trying  alternative — A  curious  exhumation — Warm  Bath  de- 
stroyed— Hints  to  new  missionaries — Death  of  Mrs.  Albrecht — 
Light  at  even-tide 65 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Rev.  J.  Campbell  writes  to  Africaner — Mr.  Ebner  sent  to  the 
mission — Journey  to  Namaqua-land — Views  of  young  travellers — 
No  choice — Driving  loose  cattle — Awkward  circumstances — The 
lost  sheep— Swollen  river — Leave  Bysondermeid — A  desert  scene 
— Oxen  run  away — Mr.  Bartlett  arrives — Arrive  at  Pella — Cross 
the  Orange  River — A  vigorous  contest 71 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Author  arrives  at  Africaner's  kraal — Expeditious  building — 
Comforts  of  a  native  house — Reflections — Perplexing  circumstances 
— Titus  Africaner — Mr.  Ebner  leaves — Disposition  of  the  people 
— Prospects  brighten — Africaner's  thirst  for  knowledge — Titus 
becomes  friendly — Quarrelling  wives — Africaner  and  civilization — 
His  benevolence — His  pacific  efforts — The  Author's  illness — David 
and  Jacobus  Africaner — A  thunder-storm — Dying  scene 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Projected  journey — Making  bellows — Commencement  of  journey — 
Geological  observations — Travelling  fare — Poisonous  honey — Ig- 
norance of  the  natives — Mr.  Schmelen's  journal — Other  testimo- 
nies— IMistakes  of  travellers — Supposed  tradition  of  deluge — A 
sorcerer 87 


CONTENTS.  VU 

CHAPTER  X. 

PAGE 

Return  homeward — The  lion  and  giraffe — A  night  scene — Terror  of 
oxen  at  a  lion — Inhuman  custom — Search  for  water — A  mother 
left  to  perish — Human  depravity — Want  of  natural  affection — Sa- 
gacity of  the  lion — The  lion's  leap — Horrible  position — Mode  of 
frightening  lions — Sufferings  in  the  desert — Scenes  at  the  water — 
Missionaries  of  former  times — Itinerating  fare — A  scuffle  with  the 
lion — Night  associates — Bachelors'  Hall — The  author's  wardrobe     94 

CHAPTER  XI, 


Journey  to  Griqua  country — The  Coranna  chief — Unpleasant  ride — 
Sleeping  in  the  sand — Scenes  on  the  Orange  River — The  crow  and 
tortoise — The  Author  drinks  poisoned  water — Native  poisons — 
Kindness  of  Bushmen — Arrive  at  Kwees — A  desert  serenade — 
Leaving  the  river — Some  of  the  party  wander — Pursued  by  a  lion 
— Extreme  hunger  and  thirst — An  encounter  with  baboons — Des- 
perate circumstances — Description  of  the  Mirage — Polluted  water 
— Arrive  at  Griqua  Town — Visit  to  Lattakoo — Providential  escape 
— Return  to  the  desert — Thunder  storm — A  wet  night's  lodging — 
Providential  supply — Encounter  with  a  hippopotamus — Arrive  at 
the  station ,        .        .        .        .  108 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Journey  to  Cape  Town — The  power  of  the  Gospel — Africaner's  criti- 
cal position — A  ludicrous  scene — Incredulity  of  a  farmer — The 
surprise — Africaner's  visit  to  the  Governor — Sensation  produced — 
The  author  appointed  to  the  Bechuanas — Africaner  conveys  his 
goods  to  Lattakoo — His  death — His  early  experience — Dreams  and 
visions — Africaner's  dream — The  Author's  anxiety  about  the  mis- 
sion— Why  relinquished — Wesleyans  resume  the  mission — Mr. 
Backhouse's  testimony — Difficulties  inevitable — Prospective  view     123 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Mission  to  the  Griquas — Its  origin  and  character — Devotedness  of  the 
missionaries — Mr.  Anderson's  description — Their  former  character 
— Progress  in  civilization — A  threatened  attack  averted — Impolitic 
measures — Critical  position — Mr.  Anderson  leaves — The  Author 
joins  Mr.  Helm — Waterboer  elected  chief — His  thirst  for  informa- 
tion— Origin  of  Bergenaars — Attacks  on  Griqua  Town — Generous 
conduct — Missionary  influence — Retributive  providence — Favour- 
able change — Successes — Waterboer's  government — Missionaries 
Government  agents — How  far  a  missionary  can  interfere  in  civil 
affairs — Life  saved — Sir  A.  Stockenstrom's  testimony — Treaties  a 
wise  policy — Chiefs  defended — State  and  prospects       .        .        .  135 


Vm  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Retrospective  view — The  prospective — First  visitors  to  the  Bechuanas 
— The  chief  Molehabangue — Messrs.  Edwards  and  Kok — A  dan- 
gerous expedient — Awful  consequences — Honourable  conduct  in  a 
heathen — Danger  from  Bushmen — The  Bergover  families — Murder 
of  a  father  and  daughter — A  dreadful  situation — A  heart-rending 
scene — A  party  visit  Lithako — A  massacre — Dr.  Lichtenstein's 
visit — Cowan  and  Denovan — Dr.  Burchell's  travels — Difficulties  in 
the  language — Mr.  Campbell's  cheering  prospects — Missionaries 
sent  to  Lithako — Interview  with  the  king — Missionaries  rejected 
— Gloomy  reflections — Causes  of  failure — Mr.  Evans  relinquishes 
the  mission 143 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Mr.  Reed  succeeds  in  obtaining  consent — Great  wisdom  required — 
Suspicions  of  the  natives — Difficulty  of  obtaining  confidence — A 
commando  defeated — Encouraging  tokens — An  untoward  circum- 
stance— Mr.  Campbell's  departure — The  loaf  stolen — The  Author 
returns  to  the  mission — Position  of  the  missionary  among  the  Be- 
chuanas— Difference  of  missionary  fields — Peculiar  difficulties — 
Total  absence  of  Idolatry — Early  professions  no  criterion — A  rain- 
maker's reasoning — Bechuana  government — Pitshos,  or  native  par- 
liament— National  customs — Barriers  to  the  Gospel — Labours  of 
the  women — Bechuana  character — Lichtenstein  and  Thompson's 
testimonies .        .        .        .162 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Difficulties  on  entering  on  a  mission — Atheism  of  the  Kafirs — Re- 
marks of  Pringle  and  Kay — Testimony  of  a  sorcerer — The  praying 
Mantis — The  Morimo  of  the  Bechuana — Absurd  notions  of 
Morimo  and  Barirao — Notions  of  the  origin  of  man,  etc, — A  wo- 
man sees  Morimo — Rain-maker's  sagacity — Opinions  of  divines — 
Deplorable  ignorance — Incredulity  of  a  chief — Testimony  of  a 
convert 176 


CHAPTER  XVIL 


Works  of  creation  insufficient — Knowledge  of  God  not  innate — Invi- 
sible things  of  God — What  the  Scriptures  teach — Opinions  of 
ancient  philosophers — President  Edward's  argument — Reason  in- 
sufficient— Roby's  conclusion  on  the  subject — Man's  responsibility 
— Native  ceremonies — Customs  originating  with  doctors  and  rain- 
makers— An  unpleasant  ceremony — Native  poets  or  eulogists — 
Natural  theology — Systems  of  idolatry — Their  various  grades — 
How  Africa  was  colonized — Physical  variety  in  man     .        .        .186 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PAOH 

Indifference  to  instruction — The  women  monopolize  the  water — 
Patience  tried — Situation  of  a  missionary's  wife — Character  of 
our  congregations — Cunning  thieves — The  bewitched  pot — Con- 
solations— Acquiring  the  language — Character  of  interpreters — 
Errors  inevitable — Serious  blunders — Divine  support — Itinerating 
— Native  views  of  the  missionary  character — A  generous  offer — 
The  Moravians  in  Greenland — Paul's  preaching  at  Athens — An 
example  to  missionaries — A  Hottentot  woman — Her  affliction 
and  penitence 194 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Influence  of  rain-makers — The  dead  exposed — Ceremony  of  burial 
Severe  drought — Embassy  for  a  rain-maker — His  propitious  recep- 
tion— His  popularity — His  demeanour — His  craftiness — Rain 
churned  out  of  a  milk  sack — Tree  struck  by  lightning — A  baboon 
in  requisition — The  lions's  heart — A  grand  discovery — Exhuma- 
tion of  a  body — The  rain-maker  begins  to  despair — He  seeks  coun- 
sel— A  grave  charge — The  rain-maker  condemned — He  leaves 
the  country 208 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Prospects  become  darker — A  trying  crisis — Purposes  overruled — 
Seasons  changed — Scarcity  of  rain  accounted  for — Indications  o 
former  luxuriance — Diminution  of  fountains — The  North  winds — 
Instinct  of  animals — Atmospheric  phenomena — Description  of 
thunder-storms — Thunder  without  clouds — Bechuana  notions  of 
thunder — The  chapel  clock 221 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Reports  of  the  Mantatees — The  Author's  wish  to  visit  the  interior — 
Opposition  to  the  journey — The  hunted  khama — Wild  dogs'  chase 
— Mantatees  discovered — Return  homeward — Proceed  to  Griqua 
Town — A  Bechuana  parliament  held — Manner  of  the  speakers — 
A  councillor  silenced — Taisho's  speech — The  king's  concluding 
address 230 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  Griquas  arrive — The  commando  proceeds — Appalling  sights — 
Narrow  escape — Battle  commences — Savage  fighting — The  enemy 
flee — The  women  and  children — Description  of  the  Mantatees — 
Renewed  attempts  to  rescue  the  women — A  night's  anxiety — 
Fresh  alarms — The  women  and  dead  horse — Goods  stolen — Cru- 
elty of  the  Bechuanas — Review  of  the  subject — Concluding  reflec- 
tions— Missionary  among  the  Mantatees 239 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


Removal  of  the  station  propased — Objections  to  the  plan — The  Author 
visits  Cape  Town — Surprise  of  the  Bechuanachiets — Missionaries 
arrive — Keturn  to  the  station — Journey  to  the  Bauangketsi — 
Wander  in  the  desert — The  country  and  game — Natural  wells — 
A  Sabbath  in  the  wilderness — Ignorance  of  the  natives^— Manner 
of  catching  game — Incidents  at  a  pool— Great  sufferings  from 
thirst — A  scene  at  the  water — Arrive  at  the  Barolongs^Children 
ofl'ered  for  sale — Proceed  to  the  Bauangketsi — Cattle  seized — The 
party  met  by  a  son  of  Makaba — The  rain-maker's  end — Reception 
at  Kuakue 251 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  natives  and  the  compass,  etc. — Makaba's  visit  to  the  wagons — 
Description  of  the  town — Character  of  Makaba  — Bold  hyenas — 
Conversation  with  Makaba — An  attempt  at  instruction — Makaba's 
astonishment  at  the  doctrine  of  a  resurrection — Great  excitement 
— Tsusane's  rebellion — His  visit  to  the  Kuruman — A  stratagem — 
Tsusane's  affecting  end — Unfounded  alariws — Preparations  for 
defence — Precipitate  departure — The  Author's  last  interview — 
Return  to  the  Barolongs — Threatened  attack  on  Pitsana — A  man 
escapes — His  tale — A  frightful  savage — Dangerous  position — Wag- 
ons attacked — A  battle— xV  heathenish  scene — Christian  conduct — 
An  explosion — Divine  interposition — AtTairs  at  the  station — A 
midnight  alarm — Concluding  remarks  ......  266 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

State  of  the  public  mind — A  civil  war — Infatuation — Conference  with 
Mothibi — Attack  of  the  marauders — Leave  the  station — Universal 
commotion — Death  of  Peclu,  the  young  prince — The  Kuatse  dis- 
ease— Cruel  superstition — Revenge  sought — Renewed  attacks — 
Mr.  Hughes's  illness — Discouragincr  prospects — Ungenerous  con- 
duct— A  chief  eaten  by  a  lion— Fresh  alarms — Locusts — Descrip- 
tion of  them  — How  prepared  for  use — Young  locusts  most  destruc- 
tive— Calf  stealers — Ptemarkable  case    ......  285 


CHAPTER  XXVH. 

Visit  to  the  Barolongs — An  interview  with  lions — Narrow  escape — 
Fresh  visitors — A  lion's  meal — Arrive  at  Choaing — Company  and 
assistance — Manner  of  life — Rhinoceroses — A  night  hunt — Kinds 
of  game — Swift  runners — Depravity  of  the  natives — A  cruel  prac- 
tice— The  smith's  shop — Wire-drawing — A  royal  visitor — Return 
to  the  station 301 


CONTENTS.  3Ci 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

PAGB 

Change  of  prospects — Startling  intelligence — Distracting  circum- 
stances— bojourn  at  Griqua  Town — Return  to  the  station — Rev. 
Richard  Miles's  visit — Population  scattered — Pleasing  indications 
— Another  commando — Audacity  of  the  enemy — Their  purposes 
defeated — Treatment  of  prisoners — Another  horde  of  banditti — 
An  anxious  Sabbath — A  flag  of  truce — A  parley  with  the  enemy 
— Mr.  and  jMrs.  Archbell  arrive — The  power  of  conscience — 
Pacilic  results — A  massacre — Divine  retribution  .         .         .         .313 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Delightful  change — Aaron  Joseph  baptized — Cheering  fruits — Bap- 
tism of  six  converts — Expectations  realized — Rejoicino-  with  trem- 
bling— The  Gospel  civilizes — Native  costume — Sewing  school  com- 
menced— Dawn  of  civilization — Novel  fashions — Candle-making 
adopted — Feehngs  and  experience  of  the  natives — The  dyino- con- 
vert                r        .  327 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Moselekatse's  ambassadors — Their  astonishment — Danger  attending 
their  return — The  Author  accompanies  them — Their  reception  by 
Mahura — A  lion  attacks  the  oxen — Arrive  at  the  Bahurutsi — 
Country  and  game — The  inhabited  tree — Singular  expedient — The 
lions  and  the  oven — An  urgent  appeal — Indications  of  former  pros- 
perity— Traces  of  great  industry — The  ravages  of  war — An  inte- 
resting recital — Heavy  rains — Meet  a  hunting  partv — Savace 
pomp — Moselekatse  afraid — Warriors  described — A  grand  ball    .  337 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

The  Author's  stay  prolonged — An  expression  of  gratitude — A  Satur- 
day eve — A  criminal  tried — Savage  heroism — Suicide — Parasites — 
Moselekatse's  history — His  character — A  bereaved  father — His 
efforts  to  redeem  his  son — Paternal  affection — A  mothers  love — 
Moselekatse's  inquiries — Passion  for  war — A  monstrous  action — 
Rough  cooks — The  horrors  of  war — The  Author  returns  home     .  353 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

The  progress  of  civilization — The  foundation  of  the  chapel  laid — De- 
scription of  the  station — Learning  to  print — Introduction  of  the 
printing  press — Seasonable  supply — Berend's  commando — The  ca- 
tastrophe— Mission  to  the  Bahurutsi — A  daughter's  compassion — 
The  Scripture  Lessons — The  dying  grandmother — Another  in- 
stance— Polygamy — The  "Word  Blessed — Difficulties — Dr.  A. 
Smith's  kindness — The  Author  accompanies  the  expedition — 
Arrive  at  Moselekatse's — Curious  ceremony — Superstition — The 
lost  horse — Escape  from  a  Hon — Return  to  the  Kuruman      .        .  367 


Xll  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

PAOB 

A  journey  for  timber — The  mission  to  Mosega  resumed — Moselekatse 
and  the  farmers — Prospects  among  the  Bakone  tribes — Native 
agency — An  itinerating  tour — A  visit  to  Mosheu — His  first  visit 
to  the  station — A  second  visit — Desire  for  instruction — Arrive  at 
the  village — Eagerness  to  hear  the  Gospel — A  curious  preacher — 
Anxiety  to  learn  to  read — Teaching  the  alphabet  by  moonlight — 
"  Auld  lang  syne" — Departure — Pleasing  fruits — The  pow^er  of 
pacific  principles — A  merchant  settles  on  the  station — The  chapel 
opened — Mothibi's  conversion — Concluding  remarks    .        .        .  383 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

The  Basuto  mission — The  speech  of  Mosheshe — Extended  opera- 
tions— Omnipotence  of  the  Gospel — Hope  for  Africa — The  Niger 
Expedition — The  duty  of  the  Church  of  Christ — Anticipated  re- 
sults— Potency  of  the  Scriptures — Agreeable  surprise — Christian 
hospitality  399 


MISSIONARY    LABOURS. 


CHAPTER    I. 


The  continent  of  Africa,  though  probably  the  most  ancient 
field  of  geographical  enterprise,  stiU  is,  and  there  is  reason 
to  believe  that  it  will  long  continue  to  be,  the  least  explored 
portion  of  our  earth.  Though  once  the  nursery  of  science 
and  literature,  the  emporium  of  commerce,  and  the  seat  of 
an  empire  which  contended  with  Rome  for  the  sovereignty 
of  the  world, — the  cradle  of  the  ancient  church,  and  the 
asylum  of  the  infant  Saviour,  yet  Africa  still  presents  a  com- 
parative blank  on  the  map,  as  well  as  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  Though,  according  to  Herodotus,  it  was  circumna- 
vigated by  the  Phoenicians  long  before  the  Christian  era,  and 
its  coast  was  the  first  object  of  maritime  discovery  after  the 
compass  had  inspired  seamen  with  confidence  to  leave  shores 
and  landmarks,  and  stand  forth  on  the  boundless  deep  ;  yet 
to  this  day  its  interior  regions  continue  a  mystery  to  the 
white  man,  a  land  of  darkness  and  of  terror  to  the  most 
fearless  and  enterprising  traveller.  Although  in  no  country 
has  there  been  such  a  sacrifice  of  men  to  the  enterprise  of 
discovery — of  men  the  most  intelligent  and  undaunted,  of 
men  impelled  not  by  gross  cupidity,  but  by  refined  philan- 
thropy ; — yet,  notwithstanding  such  sufiering  and  waste  of 
human  life,  we  are  only  acquainted  with  the  fringes  of  that 
immense  continent,  and  a  few  lineaments  at  no  great  dis- 
tance from  its  shores. 

Africa  had  once  her  churches,  her  colleges,  her  repositories 
of  science  and  learning,  her  Cyprians  and  bishops  of  apos- 
tolic renown,  and  her  noble  army  of  martyrs  ;  but  now  the 

2 


14  STATE    OF    AFRICA. 

funeral  pall  hangs  over  her  wide-spread  domains,  while  her 
millions,  exposed  to  tenfold  horrors,  descend  like  a  vast  fu- 
nereal mass  to  the  regions  of  woe.  Christendom  has  been 
enriched  by  her  gold,  her  drugs,  her  ivory,  ai^d  bodies  and 
souls  of  men — and  what  has  been  her  recompense  ?  A  few 
crucifixes  planted  around  her  shores,  guarded  by  the  military 
fort  and  the  roar  of  cannon.  Had  it  not  befsn  for  British 
power  and  British  sympathy  under  the  favour  of  Heaven, 
Africa  to  this  day,  with  scarcely  one  exception,  might  have 
had  the  tri-coloured  flag  waving  on  her  bosom,  bearing  the 
ensigns  of  the  mystery  of  Babylon,  the  crescent  of  the  false 
prophet,  and  the  emblems  of  pagan  darkness,  from  the 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean  to  the  colony  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope. 

"  The  countries  extending  throughout  by  far  the  greater 
portion  of  the  vast  surface  just  mentioned,  are,  as  regards 
soil  and  capabilities,  among  the  finest  in  the  world ;  but  the 
population  of  the  whole,  with  the  exception  of  Egypt  in  an- 
cient times,  and  the  population  of  the  shores  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean when  under  the  Carthaginian,  the  Roman,  and  the 
brighter  days  of  Arab  sway,  have  been,  through  every  age, 
and  are  still,  sunk  into  the  lowest  depths  of  ignorance,  super- 
stition, disorganization,  and  debasement  j-  the  glimmer  of  ci- 
vihzation,  which  for  a  time  appeared  M  Nubia  and  Abys- 
sinia, compared  with  the  whole,  scarce^  forming  an  excep- 
tion."* 3 

Before  entering  into  a  detail  of  Mis^nary  operations,  it 
may  be  proper  to  glance  briefly  at  the  Jfbsition,  extent,  and 
character  of  some  of  the  fields  which  nave  been  occupied. 

The  bold  and  mountainous  promontory  »f  the  Cape,  was 
first  discovered  by  Bartholomew  Diaz,  the 'Portuguese  navi- 
gator, and  was  taken  possession  of  by  the  Dutch,  in  1652, 
At  that  period  the  Avhole  of  what  is  now  designated  the  Co- 
lony, was  inhabited  by  Hottentots  proper,  whose  history  and 
origin,  from  their  physical  appearance,  language,  and  cus- 
toms, continue  involved  in  profound  mystery.  They  resem- 
ble none  of  the  Kafir,  Bechuanaand  Damara  nations,  which 
bound  the  different  tribes  of  that  remarkable  people,  extend- 
ing froiTi  Angra,  Pequena  Bay  on  the  west,  to  the  great 
Fish-river  on  the  east.  Tlie  whole  race  are  distinct  from  all 
others  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  Taking  the  Hotten- 
tots, Corannas,  Namaquas,  and  Bushmen,  as  a  whole,  they 
are  not  swarthy  or  black,  but  rather  of  a  saUow  colour,  and 

*  M'Qucen's  Geographical  Survey  of  Africa. 


HOW  POPULATION  EXTENDED.  15 

in  some  cases  so  light,  that  a  tinge  of  red  in  the  cheek  is 
perceptible,  especially  among  the  Bushmen.  They  are  ge- 
nerally smaller  in  stature  than  their  neighbours  of  the  inte- 
rior ;  their  visage  and  form  very  distinct,  and  in  general  the 
top  of  the  head  broad  and  flat ;  their  laces  tapering  to  the 
chin,  with  high  cheek  bones,  flat  noses  and  large  lips.  Since 
the  writer  has  had  opportunities  of  seeing  men,  women,  and 
children,  from  China,  he  feels  strongly  inclined  to  think,  with 
Barrow,  that  they  approach  nearer  in  the  colour  and  in  the 
construction  of  their  features,  to  that  people  than  to  any 
other  nation.  Since  his  arrival  in  England,  this  supposition 
has  been  strengthened  by  seeing  two  blind  Chinese  children 
whom,  had  he  not  been  previously  informed,  he  would  have 
taken  for  Hottentots ;  and  if  they  had  had  their  eyesight,  the 
resemblance  would  have  been  much  more  striking.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  Hottentots  inhabit  the  southern  point 
of  Africa,  and  spread  northward,  while  the  Bushmen,  the 
most  northerly,  exist  among  the  inhabited  regions,  where 
they  continue  perfectly  distinct,  and,  which  is  very  remarka- 
ble, do  not  become  darker  in  their  complexion,  as  is  the  case 
with  all  the  other  tribes  that  inhabit,  or  have  inhabited  the 
Torrid  Zone.  If  they  had  been  gipsies  from  Egypt,  as  some 
have  thought,  it  is  another  singular  circumstance,  that  they 
should  not,  during  the  successive  ages  which  they  must  have 
required  slowly  to  advance  through  nearly  5000  miles  of  ter- 
ritory, have  adopted  one  word  of  the  language  of  the  myriads 
with  whom  they  came  in  contact,  or  one  of  their  customs  of 
any  description,  not  even  that  of  sowing  seed  in  the  earth. 
It  may  not  be  considered  chimerical  to  suppose  that  when 
the  sons  of  Ham  entered  Africa,  by  Egypt,  and  the  Ara- 
bians, by  the  Red  Sea,  that  the  Hottentot  progenitors  took 
the  lead,  and  gradually  advanced  in  proportion  as  they  were 
urged  forward  by  an  increasing  population  in  their  rear,  until 
they  reached  the  ends  of  the  earth.  It  may  also  be  easily 
conceived  of  by  those  acquainted  with  the  emigration  of 
tribes,  that  during  their  progress  to  the  south,  parties  remain- 
ed beliind,  in  the  naore  sequestered  and  isolated  spots,  where 
they  had  located  w^hile  the  nation  moved  onward,  and  re- 
search may  yet  prove  that  that  remarkable  people  originally 
came  from  Egypt*     At  all  events,  it  is  evident  that  they 

• 
*  A  few  evenings  ago  I  was  in  the  company  of  a  Syrian  who  lately 
came  l>om  Egypt.  On  giving  him  a  specimen  and  a  description  of  the 
Hottentot  language,  he  remarked  that  he  had  seen  slaves  in  the  market 
at  Cairo,  brought  a  great  distance  from  the  interior,  who  spoke  a  similar 
language,    and   were   not  near  so  dark  coloured  as  slaves  in  general. 


16  ORIGIN   OF   THE   BUSHMEN   TRIBES. 

have  arisen  from  a  race  distinct  from  that  of  their  neighbours, 
and  extended  inland,  inhabiting  the  most  fertile  spots,  till 
their  course  was  arrested  on  the  east  by  the  bold  and  warlike 
Kafirs,  and  on  the  north  by  the  Bechuana  and  Damara.  It 
is  probable  that  they  stretched  out  into  Great  Namaqualand, 
along  the  western  division  of  the  colony,  till  prevented  by  a 
desert  country,  beyond  which  lay  the  Damaras ;  and  then 
again  they  proceeded  from  Little  Namaqualand,  eastward, 
along  the  cooling  banks  of  the  Gariep  or  Orange  River, 
richly  fringed  with  overhanging  willows,  towering  acacias, 
and  kharree  trees  and  shrubs,  umbrageous  at  all  seasons  of 
the  year.  Thus,  by  the  localities  of  the  country  they  became 
separated  into  three  great  divisions,  Hottentots,  Corannas, 
and  lesser  and  greater  Namaquas,  From  time  immemorial 
these  have  been  the  boimdaries  of  their  habitations,  while 
the  desert  wastes  and  barren  mountain-ravines,  which  in- 
tervened, became  the  refuge  and  domains  of  the  Bushmen, 
who  are  emphatically  the  children  of  the  desert. 

All  these  possess  nearly  the  same  physical  characteristics, 
the  same  manners  and  customs.  I  have  had  in  my  presence 
genuine  Hottentots,  Corannas,  and  Namaquas,  who  had  met 
from  their  respective  and  distant  tribes,  for  the  first  time,  and 
they  conversed  with  scarcely  any  difficulty.  All  use  the 
same  weapons,  the  quiver,  bow,  and  poisoned  arrows,  of 
which  the  tribes  beyond  are  ignorant,  except  such  as  border 
on  them,  like  the  Batlapis,  who  say  they  adopted  that  new 
mode  of  warfare  in  order  to  compete  with  them  and  the 
Bushmen,  from  both  of  whom  they  obtained  these  weapons, 
which  they  have  not  yet  learned  to  manufacture. 

The  Bushmen  are  the  most  remarkable  portion  of  the 
Hottentot  nation.  Various  opinions  have  been  offered  on 
the  origin  and  state  of  the  Hottentots,  among  which  is  that 
of  Gibbon,  that  "  they  were  the  connecting  link  between  the 
rational  and  irrational  creation."  If  he  had  been  acquainted 
with  the  Bushmen,  who  are  unquestionably  inferior  to  the 
Hottentots,  he  would  have  felt  more  confidence  in  this  strange 
and  long  exploded  theory.  Some  say  they  are  the  progeni- 
tors of  the  nation ;  others,  that  they  are  an  entirely  distinct 
race  ;  and  others,  again,  that  they  are  Hottentots,  who  have 
been  directly  or  indirectly  plundered  of  their  cattle  by  the 
Dutch  farmers.  That  the  Bushmen  are  the  people  from 
whom  the  Hottentot  tribes  have  descended,  is  irreconcilable 

This  corroborates  the  statements  of  ancient  authors,  whose  description 
of  a  people  inhabiting  the  interior  regions  of  Northern  Africa,  answer  to 
that  of  the  Hottentot  and  Bushmen. 


BECHUANA    BUSHMEN.  17 

with  existing  facts ;  that  they  are  a  distinct  race,  is  still  far- 
ther from  probability  ;  and  that  they  are  plundered  Hotten- 
tots, is,  in  my  humble  opinion,  a  preposterous  notion,  result- 
ing from  limited  information  on  the  subject.  If  this  were  to 
be  admitted,  then  we  must  also  admit  that  the  Hottentots, 
in  being  deprived  of  their  cattle,  and  becoming  Bushmen, 
were  deprived  of  their  language  also ;  for  it  is  well  known, 
from  the  earliest  records  that  can  be  obtained  on  the  subject 
of  their  language — which  has,  in  addition  to  the  klick  of  the 
Hottentot,  a  croaking  in  the  throat, — that  they  never  under- 
stood each  other  without  interpreters. 

Another  fact  is,  that  the  Bushmen  are  to  be  found  scat- 
tered, though  thinly,  among  all  the  Bechuana  tribes  of  the 
interior  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  even  as  far  as  the 
Mampoor  lake,  about  eight  hundred  miles  north  of  Latta- 
koo.  The  Marosa,  or  Baroa  Bushmen,  are  found  of  the 
same  description  as  those  just  beyond  the  boundaries  of  the 
colony;  and  from  the  oldest  traditions  we  can  find  among 
the  Corannas  and  Namaquas,  who  are  the  unmixed  Hot- 
tentots, as  also  from  the  Bechuanas,  it  may  be  demonstrated, 
that  they  existed  a  wandering  people  without  homes,  or 
cattle,  or  even  nationality  of  character.  That  they  de- 
scended from  Hottentots,  requires  little  argument  to  prove. 
Probably  there  are  connected  with  all  the  tribes  of  Africa 
numbers  of  a  nomadic  character,  whose  origin  will  throw 
light  on  the  history  of  the  Bushmen.  A  parallel  is  furnished 
by  the  following  facts  of  the  case,  which  have  hundreds  of 
times  come  under  my  own  observation,  during  a  residence 
of  more  than  twenty  years  among  the  Bechuana  tribes. 
Connected  with  each  of  the  towns  among  that  people,  there 
are  great  numbers  of  what  are  called  "Balala,"  poor  ones, 
who  stand  in  the  same  relation  to  the  Bechuanas  in  which 
the  Bushmen  formerly  stood  to  the  Hottentots,  and  whose 
origin  doubtless  was  of  the  same  nature.  These  Balaia 
were  once  inhabitants  of  the  towns,  and  have  been  permit- 
ted or  appointed  to  live  in  country  places  for  the  purpose  of 
procuring  skins  of  wild  animals,  wild  honey,  and  roots,  for 
their  respective  chiefs.  The  number  of  these  country  resi- 
dents was  increased,  by  the  innate  love  of  liberty,  and  the 
scarcity  of  food  in  towns,  or  within  the  boundaries  to  which 
they  were  confined  by  water  and  pasture.  These  again 
formed  themselves  into  small  communities,  though  of  the 
most  temporary  character,  their  calling  requiring  migration, 
having  no  cattle  of  any  description.  Accustomed  from  in- 
fancy to  the  sweets  of  comparative  liberty,  which  they  vastly 

2* 


18  THEIR   DEGRADATION. 

preferred  to  a  kind  of  vassalage  in  the  towns,  or  kraals,  they 
would  make  any  sacrifice  to  please  their  often  distant  supe- 
riors, rather  than  be  confined  to  the  irksomeness  of  a  town 
life.  Such  is  their  aversion,  that  I  have  known  chiefs  take 
armed  men,  and  travel  a  hundred  miles  into  desert  places, 
in  order  to  bring  back  Balala,  whom  they  wished  to  assist 
them  in  watching  and  harvesting  the  gardens  of  their  wives  ; 
and  in  such  seasons  they  will  frequently  wander  about,  and 
fix  their  domiciles  in  the  most  desert  and  unfrequented  spots, 
to  escape  this  easy,  but  to  them  galhng  duty,  which  is  only 
required  in  a  year  of  plenty. 

Though  in  general  they  are  able  to  state  to  what  chief  or 
tribe  they  belong,  yet,  from  want  of  intercourse,  and  from 
desolating  wars,  which  are  only  waged  where  there  is  a 
prospect  of  plunder,' great  numbers  of  them  become,  in  their 
isolated  position,  independent.  They  are  never  permitted 
to  keep  cattle,  and  are  exposed  to  the  caprice,  cupidity,  and 
tyranny  of  the  town  lords,  whenever  they  happen  to  come  in 
their  way.  They  live  a  hungry  life,  being  dependent  on  the 
chase,  wild  roots,  berries,  locusts,  and  indeed  any  thing  ealj- 
able  that  comes  within  their  reach  ;  and  when  they  have  a 
more  than  usual  supply,  they  will  bury  it  in  the  earth,  from 
their  superiors,  who  are  in  the  habit  of  taking  what  they 
please.  Resistance  on  their  part  would  be  instantly  avenged 
with  the  deadly  javelin.  When  hunting  parties  go  out  to 
kill  game,  the  Balala,  men  and  women,  are  employed  to 
carry  grievous  burdens  of  flesh  to  the  rendezvous  of  the 
hunters  ;  in  return  for  which,  they  receive  the  offals  of  the 
meat,  and  are  made  drudges  so  long  as  the  party  remains. 
They  are  never  permitted  to  wear  the  furs  of  foxes  and 
other  animals  they  obtain.  The  flesh  they  may  eat ;  but 
the  skins  are  conveyed  to  the  towns,  for  which  they  obtain 
a  small  piece  of  tobacco,  or  an  old  spear  or  knife.  Indeed, 
all  the  valuable  skins  of  the  larger  animals,  which  they 
sometimes  procure  by  hunting  and  pitfalls,  as  well  as  the 
better  portions  of  the  meat,  they  have  to  yield  to  their  nomi- 
nal masters,  except  when  they  succeed  in  secreting  the  whole 
for  their  own  use.  From  the  famishing  life  to  which  they 
are  exposed,  their  external  appearance  and  stature  are  pre- 
cisely to  the  Bechuanas,  what  the  Bushmen  are  to  the  Hot- 
tentots. Those,  however,  who  live  in  places  which  afford  a 
better  supply  of  food,  are  generally  of  equal  stature  with 
those  who  live  in  towns.  The  natives  I  have  observed 
throughout  southern  Africa  are  hke  plants  on  a  sterile  sod 


REASONS  FOR  VARIETY  OF  DIALECT.  19 

and  bleak  aspect,  stunted  in  growth,  while  in  a  more  genial 
situation  the  same  species  are  trees  instead  of  shrubs. 

The  next  problem  is  the  variety  of  languages  spoken  by 
the  Bushmen,  even  when  nothing  but  a  range  of  hills  or  a 
river  intervenes  between  the  tribes,  and  none  of  these  dia- 
lects is  understood  by  the  Hottentots.  This  may  be  solved 
with  still  greater  ease,  by  again  referring  to  the  Balala. 
The  dialects  of  the  Sechuana  as  spoken  by  these  people, 
especially  in  districts  remote  from  the  toAvns,  is  so  different 
from  that  spoken  by  the  nation  generally,  that  interpreters 
are  frequently  required.  In  order  to  account  for  this,  it  is 
necessary  to  become  acquainted  with  their  habits.  In  the 
towns  the  purity  and  harmony  of  the  langilage  is  kept  up 
by  their  pitchos  or  public  meetings,  at  which  the  finest  lan- 
guage is  spoken,  by  their  festivals  and  ceremonies,  as  well 
as  by  their  songs  and  their  constant  intercourse  ;  for,  like 
the  Atlienians  of  old,  they  are  ever  telling  or  hearing  some 
"  new  thing,"  and  the  first  question  a  person  who  has  come 
from  a  neighbouring  village  is  asked  will  be,  "  Lo  yelang 
gona?"  What  do  you  eat  there  1  or,  "'Mpulela  mahuku." 
Tell  me  the  news.  There  is  no  end  to  conversation,  ex- 
cepting when  sleep  overcomes  or  pinching  hunger  prevails. 
With  the  isolated  villages  of  the  desert,  it  is  far  otherwise. 
They  have  no  such  meetings,  no  festivals,  no  cattle,  nor  any 
kind  of  manufactures  to  keep  their  energies  alive  ;  riches 
they  have  none,  their  sole  care  being  to  keep  body  and  soul 
together  ;  to  accomplish  this,  is  with  them  their  ''  chief  end  ;" 
they  are  compelled  to  traverse  the  wilds  often  to  a  great  dis- 
tance from  their  native  village.  On  such  occasions,  fathers 
and  mothers  and  all  who  can  bear  a  burden,  often  set  out 
for  weeks  at  a  time,  and  leave  their  children  to  the  care  of 
two  or  more  infirm  old  people.  The  infant  progen)^,  some 
of  whom  are  beginning  to  lisp,  while  others  can  just  master 
a  whole  sentence,  and  those  still  farther  advanced,  romping 
and  playing  together,  the  children  of  nature,  tlirough  the 
livelong  day,  become  habituated  to  a  language  of  their  own. 
The  more  voluble  condescend  to  the  less  precocious,  and 
thus  from  this  infant  Babel  proceeds  a  dialect  composed  of 
a  host  of  mongrel  words  and  phrases  joined  together  without 
rule,  and  in  the  course  of  a  generation  the  entire  character 
of  the  language  is  changed.  Their  servile  state,  their  scanty 
clothing,  their  exposure  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
and  their  extreme  poverty,  have,  as  may  be  easily  conceived, 
a  deteriorating  influence  on  their  character  and  condition 
They  are  generally  less  in  stature,  and  though  not  deficient 


20  THE   TAMAHAS. 

in  intellect,  the  life  they  lead  gives  a  melancholy  cast  to 
their  features,  and  from  constant  intercourse  with  beasts  of 
prey  and  serpents  in  their  path,  as  well  as  exposure  to 
harsh  treatment,  they  appear  shy,  and  have  a  wild  and  fre- 
quently quick  suspicious  look.  Nor  can  this  be  wondered 
at,  when  it  is  remembered  that  they  associate  with  savage 
beasts,  from  the  lion  that  roams  abroad  by  night  and  day, 
to  the  deadly  serpent  which  infests  their  path,  keeping  them 
always  on  the  alert  during  their  perambulations.  All  this 
and  much  more  which  might  be  said  of  the  Balala,  may  also 
with  the  strictest  propriety  be  affirmed  of  the  Bushmen.  Any 
one  familiarly  acquainted  with  the  interior,  can  have  no 
doubt  as  to  the  origin  and  the  correctness  of  the  description 
given  of  the  "  Bechuana  Bushmen,"  as  Mr.  Campbell  calls 
them,  and  of  whom  he  says,  "  they  are  a  people  greatly 
despised  by  ail  the  surrounding  tribes."  Their  numbers  have 
also  been  increased  by  fugitives  from  other  towns  and  vil- 
lages, which  have  been  reduced  by  devastating  wars  from 
peace  and  plenty,  to  the  most  abject  poverty,  and  the  in- 
habitants forced  to  flee  to  the  desert  for  sustenance,  hardly 
disputed  with  the  beasts  of  prey.  From  this  class  of  people, 
the  Tamahas,  or  Red  people,  as  the  etymology  of  the  word 
imports,  who  are  by  the  Griquas  called  Red  Kafirs,  arose. 
They  formed  a  considerable  body  in  the  days  of  Moleha- 
bangue  the  father  of  Mothibi,  the  present  chief  of  the  Bat- 
lapis,  who,  in  his  commandoes  for  the  capture  of  cattle,  was 
wont  to  take  them  with  him.  Taught  this  mode  of  warfare, 
and  being  of  an  intrepid  character,  they  sallied  forth  and 
took  cattle  for  themselves,  which  Molehabangue's  generous 
disposition  allowed  them  to  keep,  and  they  became  an  inde- 
pendent tribe,  continuing  the  faithful  allies  of  the  Batlapis. 

That  such  were  the  Bushmen  formerly,  there  can  be  no 
doubt ;  and  it  is  equally  certain  their  numbers  were  in- 
creased by  parties  of  Hottentots,  robbed,  and  compelled  to 
abandon  for  ever  the  land  of  their  ancestors ;  and  who 
naturally  sought  to  satisfy  their  wants  by  a  predatory 
warfare,  and  thus  taught  the  Bushmen  to  become  the 
pirates  of  the  desert.  Hence  arose  that  kind  of  policy, 
once  sanctioned  by  the  Cape  colonial  government,  of  exter- 
mination, on  which  it  is  impossible  to  reflect  without 
horror.  It  appears  from  the  earhest  records  on  the  subject, 
and  especially  from  the  journals  of  those  engaged  in  the 
work,  that  the  Bushmen  were  once  very  numerous.  I  have 
traversed  those  regions  in  which,  according  to  the  testimony 
of  the  farmers,  thousands  once  dwelt,  drinking  at  their  own 


THE   KAFIRS.  21 

fountains,  and  killing  their  own  game  ;  but  now,  alas, 
scarcely  a  family  is  to  be  seen !  It  is  impossible  to  look  over 
these  now  uninhabited  plains  and  mountain-glens  without 
feeling  the  deepest  melancholy,  while  the  winds  moaning  in 
the  vale  seem  to  echo  back  the  sound,  "  Where  are  they  ?" 
In  this  more  enlightened  age,  the  farmers  cannot  refer  to 
the  melancholy  history  of  that  unfortunate  race  without 
feelings  of  regret,  while  it  is  but  justice  to  add,  that  many 
of  the  farmers  made  strenuous  efforts,  and  collected  thou- 
sands of  cattle  and  sheep,  which  they  presented  to  the 
neighbouring  Bushmen,  hoping  to  induce  them  to  settle, 
and  live  by  breeding  cattle  ;  but  these  efforts  always  failed. 
It  was  too  late ;  past  sufferings,  and  past  offences  on  both 
sides,  had  produced  a  spirit  of  hatred  so  universal,  that  it 
was  of  no  avail  to  pacify  one  party,  while  thousands  were 
thirsting  for  revenge  and  plunder.  Their  numbers  are  now 
comparatively  few,  even  among  the  tribes  far  beyond  the 
present  limits  of  the  colony,  from  the  same  mutual  strife. 

It  will  be  evident  from  the  preceding  statements,  that  the 
Bushmen  were  originally  poor  Hottentots,  and  will  in  all 
probability,  like  their  progenitors,  in  course  of  time,  cease  to 
be  a  distinct  people,  by  becoming  gradually  mixed  with  the 
tribes  among  whom  they  are  scattered.  Some  additional 
remarks  on  this  people  will  be  found  under  the  head.  Mis- 
sions to  the  Bushmen. 

The  Kafirs,  the  next  African  tribe  to  which  I  .shall  briefly 
refer,  live  beyond  the  Fish  River,  on  the  eastern  boundary 
of  the  colony.  At  an  earlier  period  they  possessed  much  of 
that  part  of  Albany  now  inhabited  by  English  farmers  and 
Hottentots,  though  it  is  presumed,  on  very  good  grounds, 
that  the  Hottentot  country  formerly  extended  a  considerable 
di.stance  into  that  of  the  Kafirs.  The  Kafirs  form  one  tribe 
of  the  Great  Bechuana  family,  and  probably  emigrated  from 
the  direction  of  Delagoa  Bay,  till  they  came  in  contact  with 
the  Hottentots  along  the  coast.  Their  origin  must  be 
traced  to  the  same  source  as  that  of  the  numerous  tribes  of 
the  Bechuanas,  from  the  affinity  of  languages  spoken 
throughout  the  eastern  part  of  the  continent  of  Africa. 
Their  national  character  is  bold  and  warhke,  and  their 
maintaining  their  independence  to  the  present  day,  after  all 
their  conflicts  with  the  colony,  and  especially  in  the  late 
war,  when  no  less  a  sum  than  241,884/.  was  expended  in 
the  destructive,  but  fruitless  conflict,  in  order  to  drive  them 
from  the  mountain-passes,  and  the  impenetrable  jungles,  a 
countr}'  over  which  their  ancestors  had  swayed  the  sceptre 


22  BASUTOS  AND  BECHUANA  COUNTRY. 

for  ages,- is  a  decisive  evidence  of  their  martial  spirit.  Their 
country  is  bounded  by  the  ocean  on  the  south,  and  a  range 
of  mountains  on  the  north,  and  beyond  them  he  the  Ama- 
pondo  and  Zoolu  tribes. 

North  of  Kafir-land,  between  the  Winterberg  mountains 
and  the  higher  branches  of  the  Yellow  River,  lies  the 
country  inhabited  by  the  Basutos,  a  tribe  of  Bechuanas. 
Since  the  days  of  Chaka,  the  tyrant  of  the  Zoolus,  who 
oppressed  them  from  the  east,  while  the  Bergenaars  on  the 
west  were  exercising  dreadful  barbarities,  and  reduced  most 
of  the  tribes  to  extreme  poverty  ;  they  have  risen  again  in  a 
fertile  country,  to  comparative  affluence.  The  commence- 
ment of  missions  among  them  by  the  brethren  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Missionary  Society  at  Paris,  and  subsequently  by  the 
Wesleyans,  is  the  cause  of  this  improvement  in  their  cir- 
cumstances. 

Beyond  the  Basutos,  to  the  north  of  the  Orange  River,  lie 
the  other  Bechuana  tribes,  whose  numbers  and  extent  we 
have  not  yet  been  able  to  learn.  There  is  some  reason  for 
supposing  that  they  formerly  extended  much  farther  to  the 
southward  than  their  present  limits,  the  28°  south  latitude, 
for  the  places  as  far  as  the  Orange  River  have  Bechuana 
names  ;  and  even  the  Lokualo*  of  the  Bechuana  is  to  be 
found  on  stones  near  the  present  boundaries  of  the  colony ; 
but  this  may  have  been  done  by  herdsmen  taken  or  escaped 
from  those  tribes.  Few,  except  Balala,  lie  farther  west 
than  the  23°  east  longitude.  Between  23°  and  19°,  hes 
what  Mr.  Campbell  calls  the  southern  Zahara,  which,  from 
what  I  have  seen  on  the  east,  south,  and  western  boundaries 
of  it,  is  a  fearful  expanse  of  sand,  though  undulating,  and  in 
many  places  covered  with  acacias  and  other  trees  of  gigan- 
tic size.  The  eastern  parts  are  inhabited  by  the  Balala  of 
the  Bechuana ;  the  southern,  near  the  Orange  River,  by 
Bushmen  ;  and  the  western,  by  Namaqua  Bushmen,  but 
none  of  them  are  able  to  keep  cattle.  They  subsist  on 
game,  water-melons,  and  roots. 

The  country  from  the  limits  of  the  desert  to  the  west 
coast   is   called    Great    Namaqualand,    containing    a    thin 

*  Lokualo,  from  which  we  derive  the  word  writing  or  printing,  is 
formed  generally  by  herd-boys,  who  with  a  stone  make  various  figures 
on  stones  with  a  fiat  surface,  without  any  reference  to  shape.  Marks 
are  made  by  striking  the  stone  on  another  till  curved  lines,  circles, 
ovals,  and  zigzag  figures  are  impressed  on  its  surface,  exhibiting  the 
appearance  of  a  white  strip  of  about  an  inch  broad,  like  a  confused  coU 
of  a  rope. 


THE   KARROO    COUNTRY.  23 

population  of  the  Hottentot  race.  To  the  north  of  the 
Namaquas  he  the  Damara  tribes,  of  whom  comparatively 
little  is  known,  except  that  from  their  physical  appearance 
and  black  colour,  they  approximate  to  the  negroes  and 
natives  of  Conofo  on  the  west  coast.  These  tribes  inhabit  a 
country  extending  from  the  tropic  of  Capricorn  to  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  shore  of  the 
Indian  Ocean.  The  climate  varies  from  that  in  which 
thunder  storms  and  tornadoes  shake  the  mountains,  and  the 
scorching  rays  of  an  almost  vertical  sun  produce  the  mirage, 
to  that  which  is  salubrious  and  mild  within  the  boundaries 
of  the  colony  along  Kafir-land  to  the  fruitful  and  well 
watered  plains  of  the  Zoolu  country  in  the  vicinity  of  Port 
Natal,  while  the  more  mountainous  and  elevated  regions 
are  visited  by  keen  frosts  and  heavy  falls  of  snow.  The 
colony  extends,  from  west  to  east,  about  600  miles,  its 
average  breadth  being  about  200,  containing  a  variety  of 
climate,  the  healthiest  perhaps  to  be  found  in  any  part  of 
the  world.  Between  the  coast  and  the  va.st  chain  of  moun- 
tains beyond  which  lie  the  Karroo,  the  country  is  well 
watered,  fertile,  and  temperate.  The  other  portions  of  the 
colony,  with  few  exceptions  and  without  a  change  in  the 
seasons,  appear  to  be  doomed  to  perpetual  sterility  and 
drought.  The  Karroo  country,  which  is  the  back  ground  of 
the  colony,  is,  as  Lichtenstein  correctly  describes  it,  a 
parched  and  arid  plain,  stretching  out  to  such  an  extent  that 
the  vast  liills  by  which  it  is  terminated,  or  rather  which 
divide  it  from  other  plains,  are  lost  in  the  distance.  The 
beds  of  numberless  little  rivers  (in  which  water  is  rarely  to 
be  found)  cross  like  veins  in  a  thousand  directions  this 
enormous  space.  The  course  of  them  might  in  some  places 
be  clearly  distinguished  by  the  dark  green  of  the  mimosas 
spreading  along  their  banks.  Excepting  these,  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach,  no  tree  or  shrub  is  visible.  Nowhere 
appear  any  signs  of  life,  nor  a  point  on  which  the  eye  can 
dwell  with  pleasure.  The  compass  of  human  sight  is  too 
small  to  take  in  the  circumference  of  the  whole — the  soul 
must  rest  on  the  horrors  of  the  wide  spread  desert. 

This  is  only  a  part  of  the  Karroo,  viewed  from  the  top  of 
a  hill  by  that  intelligent  traveller;  but  even  on  these  hills 
and  sun-burnt  plains,  thousands  of  sheep  pasture  on  a  thin 
sprinkling  of  verdure  and  esculents.  One  morning,  after 
travelling  several  days  in  those  Karroo  plains,  Mr.  Campbell 
stood  still,  and  remarked  with  great  emphasis  to  Mrs.  Moffat 


24  THE   KARROO   COUNTRY. 

and  myself,  "  Sirs,  it  would  require  a  good  pair  of  spectacles 
to  see  a  blade  of  grass  in  this  world." 

The  entire  country,  extending  in  some  places  hundreds 
of  miles  on  each  side  of  the  Orange  River,  and  from  where 
it  empties  itself  into  the  Atlantic  to  beyond  the  24th  degree 
east  longitude,  appears  to  have  the  curse  of  Gilboa  resting 
on  it.  It  is  rare  that  rains  to  any  extent  or  quantity  fall  in 
those  regions.  Extreme  droughts  continue  for  years  together. 
The  fountains  are  exceedingly  few,  precarious,  and  latterly 
many  of  these  have  been  dried  up  altogether.  The  causes 
and  consequences  of  the  diminution  of  the  rains  will  be 
noticed  as  the  writer  traverses  the  different  fields  which 
have  come  under  his  own  immediate  observation  ;  and  if 
his  long  experience  and  inquiry  on  that  and  a  variety  of 
other  subjects  of  interest  and  scientific  research,  should  in 
any  degree  throw  additional  light  on  doubtful  points,  he 
will  consider  his  labour  amply  rewarded,  but  his  theme  is 
man. 

This  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  different  tribes  which  have 
been  the  objects  of  missionary  labour,  and  the  limits  of 
which  are  defined  in  the  accompanying  map,  intended  more 
as  a  directory  to  the  position  of  missionary  stations  and 
divisions  of  tribes,  than  a  minute  view  of  general  typography. 

I  have  deemed  it  proper  to  be  more  particular  on  the 
Hottentot  and  Bushman  character,  as  the  following  chapters 
present  little  more  than  an  outline  of  the  labours  of  mis- 
sionaries among  that  people.  This  section  of  our  operations 
is  so  well  known  from  the  copious  journals  and  letters  so 
long  before  the  public,  as  well  as  from  Mr.  Campbell's  first 
and  second  "  Travels,"  and  the  "  Researches"  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Philip,  besides  the  works  of  other  writers  on  the  same 
subject,  that  it  is  the  less  necessary  for  me  to  make  large 
additions  to  the  valuable  information  thus  supplied. 


CHAPTER    II. 


The  London  Missionary  Society,  on  its  establishment  in 
1795,  directed  its  first  efforts  to  the  islands  of  the  Pacific; 
in  which  the  missionaries,  after  a  long  period  of  toil,  under 
accumulated  hardships,  have  witnessed  triumphs  of  the  Gos- 
pel the  most  signal,  among  a  race  of  barbarians  and  can- 
nibals, which  it  has  ever  fallen  to  the  province  of  history  to 
record.  The  attention  of  the  Society  was  next  directed  to 
the  vast  and  important  field  of  Southern  Africa,  then  wholly 
unoccupied,  except  by  the  United  Brethren  of  Germany, 
The  small  Moravian  church  of  Herrnhut  sent  forth  her  mis- 
sionaries more  than  a  century  ago,  first  to  the  negroes  of  the 
West,  and  then  to  the  fur-clad  inhabitants  of  Greenland. 

"  Fired  with  a  zeal  peculiar,  they  defy 
The  rage  and  rigour  of  a  polar  sky, 
And  plant  successfully  sweet  Sharon's  rose 
On  icy  plains,  and  in  eternal  snows." 

In  July,  1736,  George  Schmidt,  with  something  of  that 
zeal  which  fired  the  bosom  of  Egede,  the  pioneer  of  the 
mission  to  Greenland,  left  his  native  country  for  that  of  the 
Hottentots.  He  was  the  first  who,  commissioned  by  the 
King  of  kings,  stood  in  the  vale  of  Grace,  (Genadendal,)  at 
that  time  known  by  the  name  of  Bavian's  Kloof,  (the  Glen 
of  Baboons,)  and  directed  the  degraded,  oppressed,  ignorant, 
despised,  and,  so  far  as  life  eternal  is  concerned,  the  outcast 
Hottentots,  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  tasted  death  for  them. 
It  is  impossible  to  traverse  the  glen,  as  the  writer  has  done, 
or  sit  under  the  great  pear-tree  which  that  devoted  mis- 
sionary planted  with  his  own  hands,  without  feeling  some- 
thing like  a  holy  envy  of  so  distinguished  a  person  in  the 
missionary  band.  When  we  remember  that  actions  receive 
their  weight  from  the  circumstances  under  which  they  have 
been  called  forth,  how  exalted  a  glory  must  such  an  one  as 
George  Schmidt  possess  in  the  heavenly  world,  where  one 
star  differeth  from  another  star  in  glory,  compared  with  a 
great  majority  of  the  present  day,  who  have  doors  opened  to 
them,  and  a  host  of  examples  before  them,  with  the  zeal  and 

3 


26  FIRST   MISSION   TO   AFRICA, 

prayers  of  the  whole  Christian  church  to  animate  and  sup- 
port them !  Though  he  could  only  address  the  Hottentots 
through  an  interpreter,  his  early  efforts  were  crowned  with 
success,  and  the  attendance  at  the  first  Hottentot  school 
ever  founded  rapidly  increased.  The  Hottentots,  with  all 
their  reputed  ignorance  and  apathy,  justly  regarded  him 
with  sentiments  of  unfeigned  love  and  admiration ;  and  so 
evidently  was  the  Gospel  made  the  power  of  God,  that  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years  he  was  able  to  add  a  number  of 
converts  to  the  church  of  the  first  born. 

In  1743,  the  lonely  missionary  was  compelled  to  visit 
Eui'ope,  when  the  Dutch  East  India  Company,  actuated  by 
representations  that  to  instruct  the  Hottentots  would  be  in- 
jurious to  the  interests  of  the  colony,  refused  to  sanction  the 
return  of  this  messenger  of  mercy  to  that  unfortunate  people. 
Every  effort  to  resume  the  Mission  was  fruitless,  till  the 
year  1792,  when  Marsveldt,  Schwinn,  and  Kiichnel  sailed 
for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  They  received  every  atten- 
tion, and  went  in  search  of  the  spot  where,  more  than  half  a 
century  before,  Schmidt  left  his  little  band.  Part  of  the 
walls  of  his  house  was  indeed  still  standing,  and  in  the  gar- 
den were  several  fruit-trees  planted  by  his  hands ;  whilst 
various  ruins  of  walls,  at  a  short  di.stance,  marked  the  site 
of  the  lowly  cottages  which  were  once  inhabited  by  his  affec- 
tionate hearers;  and,  what  must  have  been  overpowering  to 
these  followiers  of  so  good  a  man,  one  of  the  females  whom 
he  had  baptized,  by  the  name  of  Magdalena,  was  also  found 
out,  and  appeared  to  have  a  tolerable  recollection  of  her 
former  teacher,  though  she  was  now  about  seventy  years  of 
age.  She  also  produced  a  New  Testament,  bearing  the 
marks  of  constant  use,  which  he  had  presented  to  her.  This 
she  had  preserved  as  a  precious  relic,  and,  although  now 
bent  down  with  age  and  feebleness,  she  expressed  great  joy 
on  being  informed  that  Marsveldt  and  his  companions  were 
the  brethren  of  her  old  and  beloved  pastor. 

The  Hottentots  who  remembered  Mr.  Schmidt,  or  had 
heard  of  his  labours  of  love,  rallied  around  the  standard 
again  erected  ;  and  though  great  and  many  were  the  trials 
and  distresses  of  the  missionaries,  often  threatened  with  de- 
struction and  murder,  all  recorded  in  the  chronicles  of  heaven, 
their  labours  were  blessed  ;  and,  through  Divine  help,  the 
Moravian  Missions  have  prospered,  and  spread  their  branches 
through  different  parts  of  the  colony,  and  to  the  Tambookies 
beyond  it,  where  they  have  now  a  flourishing  station.  What 
»  remarkably  display  have  we  here  of  the  faithfulness  and 


VANDEftKEMP's    MISSION   TO   THE    RaFTRS.  27 

mercy  of  God,  in  preserving  the  seed  sown  by  Schmidt  in  a 
most  ungenial  soil,  and  left  to  vegetate  in  an  aspect  the 
most  forbidding,  for  such  a  length  of  time  !  Who  can  doubt 
the  Divine  assurance,  "  My  word  shall  not  return  unto  me 
void?" 

On  the  3 1st  of  March,  in  the  year  1799,  Dr.  Vanderkemp, 
accompanied  by  Messrs.  Kicherer  and  Edmonds,  landed  at 
Cape  Town,  then  in  the  possession  of  the  Dutch.  Dr.  V. 
selected  Kafir-land  as  the  field  of  his  operations,  while  Mr. 
Kicherer,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Kramer,  yielded  to  a  call  of 
Providence,  and  proceeded  to  the  Bushmen  on  the  Zak 
River.  Vanderkemp,  who  was  a  native  of  Holland,  seemed, 
from  his  experience,  natural  firmness  of  character,  and  dis- 
tinguished talents,  prepared  for  the  Herculean  task,  at  once 
to  force  his  way  into  the  head-quarters  of  the  enemy,  and 
raise  the  standard  of  the  cross  amidst  a  dense  population  of 
barbarians,  the  inost  powerful,  warlike,  and  independent  of 
all  the  tribes  within  or  without  the  boundaries  of  the  Cape 
colony,  and  who,  notwithstanding  the  superior  means  for 
human  destruction  enjoyed  by  their  white  neighbours,  still 
maintained  their  right  to  their  native  hills  and  dales.  He 
might  at  once,  with  comparative  little  trouble  or  hardsliip, 
have  fixed  his  abode  araiong  the  Hottentots  within  the  colony, 
to  whom  he  eventually  devoted  all  the  energies  of  his  body 
and  mind,  in  raising  that  depressed,  degraded,  helpless,  and 
enslaved  race,  to  freemen  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  breaking  the 
fetters  that  a  cruel  policy  had  riveted  on  that  hapless  people, 
the  aborigines  and  rightful  owners  of  a  territory  now  no 
longer  theirs. 

The  Doctor,  having  cast  his  eye  over  the  condition  of  the 
Hottentots,  concluded  that  there  was  scarcely  any  possibility 
of  making  progress  among  a  people  so  proscribed  by  govern- 
ment, and  at  the  mercy  of  their  white  neighbours,  on  whom 
they  could  not  look  without  indignation,  as  any  other  human 
beings  would  have  done  in  similar  circumstances ;  he  there- 
fore, very  naturally,  directed  his  steps  to  those  who  were  yet 
free  from  these  unnatural  restrictions. 

Having  received  every  encouragement  from  the  English 
government,  and  recommendatory  letters  to  the  farmers,  he 
left  Cape  Town.  The  country  through  which  he  had  to 
pass  was  thinly,  and  in  many  places  newly  inhabited.  The 
party  arrived  at  GraafT  Reinet  on  June  29,  after  having, 
with  their  attendants  and  cattle,  experienced  many  narrow 
escapes  from  lions,  panthers,  and  other  wild  beasts,  as  well 
as  from  Bushmen  and  Hottentots,  of  character  still  more 


23  SUSPICIONS   OF   THE   KAFIRS. 

ferocious.  Notwithstanding,  wherever  they  went,  they  were 
kindly  treated  by  the  farmers,  akhough  their  fears  and  alarms 
must  have  been  many,  and  nothing  but  Divine  power  could 
have  cheered  them  onward  in  their  desert  path. 

In  July,  1799,  he  proceeded  from  Graaff  Reinet,  the  most 
distant  colonial  town,  and  the  nearest  to  the  Kafirs.  This 
was  a  daring  undertaking,  when  it  is  remembered  that  for  a 
long  time  previous  a  dire,  and  often  deadly  strife  had  been 
kept  up  between  them  and  the  farmers,  whom  they  very 
naturally  viewed  as  intruders,  and  towards  whom  they  must 
have  looked  with  a  jealous  eye,  both  they  and  their  fore- 
fathers having  witnessed  the  reduction  of  the  Hottentots, 
once  their  equals  in  number  and  power,  to  a  state  of  slavery, 
destitution,  and  sorrow ;  the  mere  fragment  of  a  nation 
being  left. 

It  vv^ould  be  expecting  too  much  from  human  nature,  and 
even  from  the  noble  and  manly  character  of  the  Kafirs,  to 
expect  that  they  should  refrain  from  laying  hands  on  the 
cattle  of  the  farmers,  a  system  carried  on  amongst  all  the 
tribes  of  South  Africa.  There  is,  however,  much  reason  to 
believe  that  they  w'ere  excited  to  this  practice  to  a  much 
greater  extent  by  the  conduct  of  some  unprincipled  colonists, 
for  we  find  on  one  of  the  earliest  missions  to  Gaika,  for  the 
purpose  of  preventing  depredations  by  the  Kafirs,  the  chiefs 
stated  that  these  were  prompted  solely  by  the  example  set 
first,  and  on  a  larger  scale  by  the  colonists.  This,  it  seems, 
was  an  undeniable  fact,  so  that  the  British  could  only  stipu- 
late for  the  good  conduct  of  their  subjects  in  future,  provided 
the  Kafirs  observed  a  similar  procedure.  It  was  among  a 
people  inured  to  war,  fierce  and  superstitious,  and  often  ex- 
asperated by  the  exercise  of  the  superior  power  of  their  neigh- 
bours, that  Dr.  Vanderkemp  pitched  his  tent.  I  have  gazed 
with  sacred  awe  on  the  spot  where  he  raised  the  Gospel 
standard;  here  he  laboiu-ed  for  a  season,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Edmonds,  who,  to  his  deep  regret,  afterwards  proceeded 
to  the  East  Indies.  He  was  thus  left  alone  with  only  a  few 
attendants,  among  a  people  destitute  of  confidence  in  each 
other,  and  fired  with  jealousy  towards  every  white  intruder, 
with  these  feelings  being  frequently  increased  by  the  in- 
fluence of  runaway  slaves  and  deserters,  who  naturally  felt 
that  their  interest  and  safety  would  be  secured  by  fanning 
the  flame  of  discord. 

Under  all  these  untoward  circumstances  it  was  impossible 
that  the  Kafirs  could  view  Dr.  V.'s  .sojourn  among  them  in 
any  other  light   than  as  a  spy,  or  precursor  of  deeply  laid 


VANDERKEMP    AND   GAIKA.  29 

stratagems  to  get  possession  of  their  country  and  cattle,  by 
the  people  from  whom  he  had  come,  and  to  whom  he  be- 
longed. He  carried  no  credentials  to  recommend  him,  but 
the  Divine  commission :  his  very  appearance  must  have  had 
little  to  fascinate  a  savage  mind,  capable  of  appreciating 
only  outward  pomp,  or  displays  of  human  power.  The  Doc- 
tor's habits  were  such  as  to  convey  a  very  different  impres- 
sion, for  he  generally  appeared  in  the  plainest  garb,  and,  ac- 
cording to  his  own  account,  without  hat,  or  shoes,  or  stock- 
ings. He  had  escaped  in  rough  and  trackless  ravines  and 
plains  through  which  he  passed,  not  only  from  beasts  of  prey, 
but  from  deserters,  who  laid  in  wait  to  murder  him ;  and 
when  he  appeared  before  the  sovereign  of  the  country,  he 
was  at  the  mercy  of  a  tyrant  whose  mind  was  poisoned  by 
individuals  from  the  colony,  of  some  influence,  insinuating 
that  he  was  a  spy. 

Many  questions  were  put  to  him  respecting  his  object,  and 
political  connexions,  and  they  were  especially  anxious  to 
know  if  he  were  sent  by  the  English.  To  which  the  Doctor 
replied  with  great  humility,  and  referred  to  the  governor's 
permission  and  recommendations  to  the  favour  of  the  autho- 
rities, in  permitting  him  to  proceed.  "  Did  then,"  continued 
Gaika,  "  this  plan  spring  forth  only  out  of  your  own  heart?" 
"  This  very  question,"  says  the  Doctor,  upbraided  me  of  my 
unfaithfulness,  and  put  this  answer  into  my  mouth :  that  this 
my  plan  was  indeed  formed  only  in  my  own  heart,  though  it 
never  was  formed  by  it ;  but  that  the  God  of  heaven  and 
earth,  in  whose  hand  were  their  hearts,  and  my  heart,  had 
put  it  into  it,  to  go  to  this  people,  and  to  communicate  in  his 
name,  things  with  which  their  temporal  and  eternal  happi- 
ness were  connected." 

This  simple  and  honest  reply,  in  some  measure  pacified 
the  jealous  spirit  of  one  whose  mind  was  more  likely  to  be 
moved  by  the  representations  made  to  him  that  the  mission- 
aries were  spies  and  assassins,  possessing  enchanted  and 
poisoned  wine  for  the  purpose  of  taking  his  life.  Mr.  Buys, 
who  had  fled  from  the  colony  on  account  of  debt,  being  fa- 
miliar with  the  lanwuajje,  was  in  tVie  first  instance  of  essen- 
tial  service  to  the  missionary.  Gaika  was  evidently  struck 
with  the  peculiarity  of  the  Doctor's  character  ;  being  alto- 
gether different  from  any  of  those  he  had  seen  before,  and 
observing  he  never  wore  a  hat,  he  asked  him  if  God  had 
ordered  him  not  to  do  so. 

Some  time  elapsed  before  the  crafty  monarch  would  give 
his  consent  that  they  should  remain  in  his  dominions ;  and 

3* 


5Q  IGNORANCE   OF    THE   NATIVES. 

■wKen  this  was  at  length  granted,  and  a  suitable  spot  selected, 
he  adds,  in  true  Gospel  simplicity,  "  Brother  Edmonds  and 
I  cut  down  long  grass  and  rushes  for  thatching,  and  felled 
trees  in  the  wood.  I  kneeled  down  on  the  grass,  thanking 
the  Lord  Jesus  that  he  had  provided  me  a  resting-place  he- 
fore  the  face  of  our  enemies  and  Satan,  praying  that  from 
under  this  roof  the  seed  of  the  Gospel  might  spread  north- 
wards through  all  Africa." 

Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  deplorable  ignorance  of 
the  natives  concerning  the  object  of  these  men  of  God,  from 
the  following  facts,  occurrences  similar  to  which  the  writer 
has  often  witnessed  in  other  parts  of  the  interior.  After 
reading  their  evening  chapter,  when  the  missionaries  arose 
to  kneel  around  the  fire,  with  the  Hottentots,  a  native,  who 
was  with  them,  was  so  terrified,  that  he  seized  his  spear, 
and  running  off  to  the  field,  hid  himself,  supposing  they  in- 
tended to  murder  him.  A  few  days  after,  a  young  Kafir  wo- 
man going  to  visit  the  party,  seeing  in  the  distance  their 
tent  shaken  by  the  wind,  and  supposing  it  to  be  some  rapa- 
cious beast  which  the  messengers  of  peace  had  let  loose  to 
devour  her,  bolted  off  through  the  river  into  the  forest,  where, 
missing  the  path,  she  had  nearly  lost  her  life  by  falling  into 
a  pit. 

The  Doctor,  with  his  life  in  his  hand,  in  the  midst  of  a 
people  among  whom  the  murder  of  a  white  man  was  consi- 
dered a  meritorious  deed,  continued  his  onward  course,  like 
a  ship  rising  above  every  succeeding  wave  which  threatens 
to  engulf  it,  and  so  completely  was  his  mind  absorbed  and 
baffled  by  the  vanity  and  dull  monotony  around,  that  for  a 
time  he  kept  his  sabbath  on  the  Saturday.  Deeply  did  he 
deplore  the  departure  of  his  fellow-labourer,  Mr.  Edmonds, 
to  which  the  Doctor  refers  in  the  spirit  of  Christian  charity, 
and  ascribes  it  not  to  a  diminution  of  fraternal  love,  but  to 
an  insurmountable  aversion  on  his  part  to  the  people,  and  a 
strong  desire  to  labour  among  the  Hindoos  of  Bengal. 

After  Mr.  E.'s  departure,  which  was  on  the  1st  of  January, 
the  Doctor  in  his  cheerless  abode  was  instant  in  season  and 
out  of  season,  eagerly  embracing  every  opportunity  of  re- 
commending the  gospel,  and  catching  each  little  ray  of  light 
that  beamed  on  his  devious  path.  He  was  a  man  of  exalt- 
ed genius  and  learning.  He  had  mingled  with  courtiers. 
He  had  been  an  inmate  of  the  univeri>;ities  of  Leyden  and 
Edinburgh.  He  had  obtained  plaudits  for  his  remarkable 
progress  in  literature,  in  philosophy,  divinity,  physic,  and  the 
miUtary  art.     He  was  not  only  a  profound  student  in  ancient 


31 

languages,  Lut  in  all  the  modern  European  tongues,  even  to 
that  of  the  Highlanders  of  Scotland,  and  had  distinguished 
himself  in  the  armies  of  his  earthly  sovereign,  in  connexion 
Avith  which  he  rose  to  be  captain  of  horse  and  lieutenant  of 
the  dragoon  guards.  Yet  this  man,  constrained  by  the  "  love 
of  Christ,"  could  cheerfully  lay  aside  all  his  honours,  mingle 
with  savages,  bear  their  sneers  and  contumely,  condescend 
to  serve  the  meanest  of  his  troublesome  guests — take  the 
axe,  the  sickle,  the  spade,  and  the  mattock — lie  down  on  the 
place  where  dogs  repose,  and  spend  nights  with  his  couch 
drenched  with  rain,  the  cold  wind  bringing  his  fragile  house 
about  his  ears.  Though  annoyed  by  the  nightly  visits  of 
hungry  hyenas,  sometimes  destroying  his  sheep  and  travel- 
ling appurtenances,  and  even  seizing  the  leg  of  beef  at  his 
tent  door, — though  compelled  to  wander  about  in  quest  of 
lost  cattle,  and  exposed  to  the  perplexing  and  humbling  ca- 
price of  those  whose  characters  were  stains  on  human  nature 
— whisperings  occasionally  reaching  his  ears  that  murderous 
plans  were  in  progress  for  his  destruction — he  calmly  pro- 
ceeded with  his  benevolent  efforts,  and  to  secure  his  object, 
would  stoop  with  "  the  meekness  of  wisdom"  to  please  and 
propitiate  the  rude  and  wayward  children  of  the  desert  whom 
he  sought  to  bless. 

In  the  midst  of  all  his  discouragements,  when  he  dis- 
covered the  faintest  image  of  his  Lord  and  Master  in  a  poor 
Flottentot  or  Kafir,  he  was  enraptured.  When  told  by  a 
Hottentot  woman  that  she  incessantly  prayed  to  Jesus  to  re- 
veal himself  to  her,  and  teach  her  what  she  ought  to  know, 
his  heart  was  filled  with  joy ;  and  he  adds,  "  I  prayed  the 
Lord  that  it  might  please  him  to  accompany  the  unworthy 
efforts  of  his  vile  servant  with  the  influences  of  his  Spirit. 
And,  oh,  how  did  my  soul  rejoice  that  the  Lord  had  given 
me,  in  tliis  wilderness  among  tigers  and  wolves,  and  at  such 
a  distance  from  Christians,  a  poor  heathen  woman  with 
whom  I  could  converse  confidently  of  the  mysteries  of  the 
hidden  communion  with  Christ.  Oh,  that  I  may  not  be  de- 
ceived. Lo,  my  winter  is  past — the  voice  of  the  turtle  is 
already  heard  in  the  land."  In  one  part  of  his  journal  he 
says,  ''  Satan  roared  like  a  lion.  It  would  not  be  prudent  to 
mention  the  particulars  of  his  assaults,  but  it  was  resolved 
tliat  I  should  be  killed  as  a  conspirator  against  the  king  of 
this  country."  While,  however,  thus  exposed  to  the  fury 
and  jealousy  of  those  whose  feet  were  swift  to  shed  blood, 
especially  that  of  a  white  man,  his  whole  journal  exhibits  an 


32 

unwavering  reliance  on  the  naine  of  the  Lord,  which  he 
found  to  be  a  stong  tower. 

The  native  magicians  having  failed  in  their  attempts  to 
make  rain,  Gaika  sent  a  reward  of  two  milch  cows  and  their 
calves,  soliciting  the  Doctor  to  use  his  efiorts.  He  replied 
that  he  could  not  make  rain,  but  could  and  would  pray  for 
it.  His  prayers  were  heard ;  rains  fell  abundantly,  but  the 
Doctor  refused  to  accept  the  cattle  ;  on  which  account  Buys 
and  others  looked  upon  him  as  a  fool,  and  declared,  that 
though  he  did  not  like  to  take  them,  they  would  take  good 
care  that  the  king  should  never  get  them  back.  More  than 
this.  Buys,  another  Gehazi,  sent  word  to  Gaika,  that  the 
number  was  not  sufficient  for  the  rain,  which  induced  the 
latter  to  send  more,  all  of  which  Buys  reserved  for  himself, 
unknown  to  Vanderkemp  at  the  time. 

It  is  impossible  to  take  a  review  of  the  character  of  Van- 
derkemp under  these  circumstances,  without  admiring  his 
devotion  to  his  work,  and  without  recognizing  him  as  a 
pioneer  of  no  ordinary  character  to  all  subsequent  missionary 
operations  in  that  country,  now  carried  on  by  the  London, 
Glasgow,  and  Wesleyan  Missionary  Societies.  How  in- 
significant have  been  the  privations  and  dangers  of  more 
modern  labourers,  when  compared  with  those  of  Vander- 
kemj),  Kicherer,  Anderson,  and  Albrecht,  who  first  entered 
those  regions  of  heathenism,  introducing  the  gospel  plough 
and  casting  the  seed  into  an  ungenial  soil,  where,  though  in 
some  instances  it  remained  long  buried,  it  eventually  pro- 
duced "  an  abundance  of  corn  in  the  earth  upon  the  top  of 
the  mountains  ;  the  fruit  whereof  shall  shake  like  Lebanon  !" 
To  none  is  this  comparison  more  applicable  than  to  Dr.  Van- 
derkemp. He  came  from  a  university  to  stoop  to  teach  the 
alphabet  to  the  poor  naked  Hottentot  and  Kafir — from  the 
society  of  nobles,  to  associate  with  beings  of  the  lowest  grade 
in  the  scale  of  humanity — from  stately  mansions,  to  the  filthy 
hovel  of  the  greasy  African — from  the  army,  to  instruct  the 
fierce  savage  the  tactics  of  a  heavenly  w^arfare  under  the 
banner  of  the  Prince  of  Peace — from  the  study  of  physic,  to 
become  the  guide  to  the  balm  in  Gilead,  and  the  physician 
there — and,  finally,  from  a  life  of  earthly  honour  and  ease, 
to  be  exposed  to  perils  of  waters,  of  robbers,  of  his  own 
countrymen,  of  the  heathen,  in  the  city,  in  the  \^'ilderness. 
All  who  are  acquainted  with  the  history  of  our  African  mis- 
sions, must  admit  these  facts,  and  say,  They^  indeed,  laboured, 
and  we  have  entered  into  their  labours. 

The  following   extract  from   Kay's   '•  Travels   and   Re- 


AWFUL   RETRIBUTION.  33 

searches    in    Kafir-land,"    cannot   be    read    without    deep 
interest : — 

"  The  Mission  stations  in  Kaffraria  literally  constitute  folds,  surrounded 
by  evil  spirits,  as  well  as  by  beasts  of  prey  ;  and  all  that  rally  round  our  stan- 
dard are  like  so  many  sheep  gathered  totrether  out  of  the  wilderness.  With- 
in the  last  few  days  several  have  been  added  to  our  number  ;  amongst  whom 
one  whose  case  is  worthy  of  particular  notice.  She  is  an  aged  Hottentot, 
who  was  baptised  by  the  late  Mr.  Vanderkemp,  about  thirty  years  ago. 
During  the  short  time  spent  by  that  devoted  Missionary  amongst  the  Kafir 
tribes,  he  taught  her,  and  tvvo  or  three  other  females,  a  knowledge  of  letters. 
This  she  afterwards  improved  by  assiduous  application,  so  that  she  was 
at  length  enabled  to  read  the  sacred  Scriptures,  a  copy  of  which,  present- 
ed by  her  venerable  tutor,  she  still  retains  to  this  very  day.  Although, 
from  that  time  to  this  she  had  never  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  sitting  under 
a  Christian  ministry,  it  would,  nevertheless,  a[)pear  that  she  ever  retained 
a  sense  of  religion,  and  a  very  strong  attachment  to  her  Bible.  On  hear- 
ing of  the  establishment  of  Butterworth,  she  anxiously  strove  to  get  her 
heathenish  husband  (Lochenbcrg)  into  the  mind  for  removing  to  the 
Mission  village,  that  she  might  once  more  hear  the  Gospel,  and  get  her 
poor  children  instructed.  But  to  this  he  would  never  consent,  well 
knowing  that  his  deeds  were  of  such  a  character  as  would  not  bear  the 
light.  The  measure  of  his  iniquity,  however,  being  full,  the  hand  of 
violence  was  permitted  to  remove  him  out  of  the  way  some  months  ago  ; 
and  the  shocking  circumstances  connected  with  his  death,  constitute  a 
strikiuCT  comment  upon  that  passage  of  holy  writ,  'Consider  this,  ye  that 
forget  God,  lest  I  tear  you  in  pieces,  and  there  be  none  to  deliver.' 

''He  was  one  of  the  Dutch  farmers  who  fled  from  the  colony,  about 
the  time  when  Mr.  Vanderkemp  was  endeavouring  to  commence  his 
Alission.  Professing  great  regard  for  the  latter  on  account  of  his  minis- 
terial character,  these  fugitives  flocked  around  him,  moved  when  he 
moved,  and  encamped  where  he  encamped.  Ihey  had  not  been  with 
him  long,  however,  before  his  faithfulness  aroused  determined  enmity,  and 
they  secretly  strove  to  injure  him  in  every  possible  way.  Although  some 
of  them  had  taken  native  wives,  and  all  been  obliged  to  take  refuge  in 
the  territories  of  the  natives,  their  deep-rooted  prejudices  against  the 
latter  still  continued,  insomuch  that  Mr.  Vanderkemp's  preaching  to  them 
rendered  him  contemptible  in  their  eyes.  '  Whenever  they  saw  him,' 
said  old  Saartje,  'go  into  the  bush  for  prayer  or  meditation,  one  or  other 
of  the  Christi  mensche  (Christians)  immediately  ran  into  his  tent  to  steal. 
His  chests  were  frequently  broken  open,  and  his  money  taken  away,  until 
at  last  he  had  scarcely  dublejces  (pence)  sufficient  to  carry  him  back  to 
the  colony.' 

"  It  does  not  appear  that  any  one  of  this  party  died  a  natural  death, 
'  Faber,'  said  my  informant,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  all  the  cir- 
cumstances, '  was  afterwards  hung  in  the  colony  as  a  rebel.  Buys  wan- 
dered about  amongst  the  tribes,  murdering  and  plundering,  until  he  him- 
self was  murdered.  Botha  was  killed  by  the  Kafirs,  at  the  instigation  of 
his  companion.  The  hut  in  which  Bezuidenhoud  slept  was  one  night 
fired  by  the  natives,  and  he  was  burnt  to  death.  The  Irishman,  (a  de- 
serter connected  with  the  band,)  together  with  one  of  his  children,  was 
also  burnt  to  ashes,  while  asleep,  by  one  of  the  native  women  with  whom 
he  had  lived;'  and,  as  already  intimated,  Lochenberg  himself,  'whom 
vengeance  suffered  not  to  live,'  was  literally  cut  to  pieces  by  the  Amak- 
wabi,  about  the  middle  of  1829." 


34  KAFIR    MISSION    ABANDONED. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1800,  Dr.  Vanderkemp,  owing  to 
a  combination  of  circumstances,  left  Kafir-land,  for  Graaff 
Reinet,  principally  to  meet  the  tM^o  brethren,  Vanderlingen 
and  Read,  and  remained  a  considerable  time  there,  during 
a  rebellion  among  the  farmers.  He  visited  Kafir-land  again, 
but,  from  the  unsettled  state  of  the  frontier,  was  compelled 
to  relinquish  the  mission,  and  return  to  Graaff  Reinet,  where 
he  laboured  among  the  Hottentots.  General  Dundas  offered 
means  of  forming  a  station  in  the  colony,  "to  endeavour,"  as 
the  governor  expressed  it,  "  to  ameliorate  the  spiritual  and 
temporal  condition  of  that  unhappy  people,  whom,  upon 
every  principle  of  humanity  and  justice,  government  is  bound 
to  protect." 


CHAPTER    III. 

In  February,  1801,  Dr.  Vanderkemp  and  Mr.  Read,  with 
more  than  100  Hottentots,  left  GraafF  Reinet.  Their  tem- 
porary residence  was  appointed  at  B(Uha's  farm,  about  seven 
miles  west  of  Algoa  Bay,  where  they  continued  with  the 
Hottentots  for  nearly  eight  months,  leading  a  life  of  uninter- 
rupted anxiety,  perplexity  and  danger,  the  Doctor  being  for 
some  time  confined  to  his  bed  with  rheumatism.  Thouoh 
liberally  as.sisted  with  necessaries  by  government  order  from 
Fort  Frederick,  they  were  continually  exposed  to  enemies 
of  different  descriptions,  and  but  for  God's  protecting  arm 
must  have  been  destroyed  root  and  branch. 

Their  institution  made  them  an  object  of  hatred  to  many 
of  the  colonists,  who  described  them  as  taking  part  with  the 
plundering  Hottentots  and  Kafirs  ;  and  representing  their 
station  as  a  refuge  for  robbers  and  murderers ;  while  the 
truth  was,  that  it  was  an  a.sylum  only  for  those  who  had 
separated  themselves  from  su(^h  banditti.  Notwithstanding 
this,  a  government  order,  to  the  great  sorrow  of.-the  mission- 
aries, prohibited  the  reception  of  any  Hottentots  into  this 
asylum,  and  tho.se  thus  repelled,  chose  to  maintain  theni' 
selves  in  the  woods,  among  brutes,  rather  than  return  to 
their  own  tribes.  General  Dundas,  approving  of  the  Doc- 
tor's scheme,  wished  the  whole  party  to  remove  for  safety 


KINDNESS   OF   GENERAL    DUNDAS.  85 

to  the  fortress,  and,  regarding  the  missionaries  as  dead  men 
if  they  did  not  accept  of  his  ofier,  proposed  to  them  again, 
as  a  last  resource  for  the  preservation  of  their  hves,  to  sail 
with  him  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  del'er  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  Hottentots  in  that  region  till  a  more  favourable 
season ;    but  to  this  the  Doctor  would  not  consent. 

To  the  honour  of  General  Dundas,  let  it  be  again  re- 
corded, that,  so  fully  was  he  convinced  of  the  duty  and 
importance  of  what  was  then  considered  Utopian,  that  he 
ordered  for  the  use  of  the  station,  from  the  Bay,  (Fort 
Frederick,)  6000  pounds  of  rice,  6  casks  of  salt  meat,  200 
sheep,  59  labouring  oxen,  1 1  milch-cows,  56  horned-cattle,  3 
wagons,  I  fishing-net,  1  corn-mill,  2  corn-sieves,  and  a 
smith's-bellows,  besides  implements  of  agriculture.  Scarcely 
had  this  generous  action  cheered  their  prospects,  when,  as 
they  write, — 

"  A  troop  of  fjlundering  Hottentots  attacked  our  place  in  the  middle  of 
the  night,  and  having  fired  about  fifty  times  with  muskets,  took  away  all 
our  cattle.  AH  our  endeavours  to  persuade  them  to  a  friendly  agreement 
were  in  vain;  they  did  not  give  any  answer  but  by  firing.  One  of  our 
most  e.steemed  Hottentots  approached  them,  and  spoke  in  a  friendly  man- 
ner;  but  they  cried,  'Look,  there  comes  a  peace-maker ;  kill  him,  shoot 
him  !'  upon  which  he  received  a  ball  in  his  leg.  We  hoped  they  would 
have  been  content  with  our  cattle,  but  it  seemed  that  their  intention  was 
to  kill  us.  They  made  an  assault  on  our  dwellings,  and,  for  that  purpose 
made  use  of  our  cattle  in  the  Kafrarian  manner.  Providence  so  ordered 
it,  that  brother  Read  had  hiid  some  newly-sawn  planks  in  the  passage, 
between  our  house  and  the  next  to  it.  I'he  cattle  which  they  drove  be- 
fore them,  were  afraid  of  these,  so  that  they  would  not  go  over  them,  and 
turned  a-side.  The  enemy  now  saw  himself  exposed,  and  our  people 
being  in  the  utmost  danger,  compelled  by  self-defence,  fired  without  being 
able  to  take  aim,  on  account  of  the  darkness;  but  the  hand  of  God  di- 
rected a  ball  in  such  a  way,  that  the  chief  of  this  troop  was  wounded  in 
the  thigh,  by  wliich  the  artery  of  the  thigh  was  cut  through ;  the  violent 
effusion  of  blood  put  an  end  to  his  life  in  a  few  minutes ;  on  this  the 
whole  troop  fled,  leaving  behind  them  all  the  cattle  except  eighteen,  which 
in  the  beginning  of  the  assault  had  been  driven  away.  Nobody  could 
guess  the  reason  of  this  unexpected  deliverance,  for  the  Hottentots  fired 
liut  twice.  On  the  following  morning  the  dead  body  was  found,  and  re- 
cognised as  that  of  Andries  Stuurman,  brother  of  Klaas  Stuurmari.  On 
the  subsequent  night  we  were  surrounded  again  by  enemies,  but  finding 
that  we  had  moved  our  cattle  from  the  Kraal  within  the  square,  which 
was  surrounded  by  our  houses,  and  that  we  had  barricadoed  all  the  en- 
trances to  it,  they  left  us  unmolested.  But  two  days  after,  havin^  got 
some  reinforcement  from  the  Kafirs,  they  attacked  us  anew,  in  the  mitklle 
of  the  day,  as  a  part  of  our  cattle  was  driven  to  the  [)asture.  They 
stabbed  one  of  our  wood-cutters  during  the  time  of  his  being  gone  into 
the  wood  to  pray ;  and  now  they  drove  away  our  cattle.  All  our  people 
attacked  them  in  the  greatest  confusion,  and  with  fury,  leaving  the  place, 
with  their  wives  and  children,  entirely  undefended.  They  put  the  as- 
sailants to  flight,  and  brought  the  cattle  back  again,  except  eight  oxen, 


36  ESCAPE   TO    FORT    FREDERICK, 

who  were  either  killed  or  mortally  wounded.  We  always  had  instructed 
our  people  that  it  was  their  duty  rather  to  part  with  their  earthly  goods 
than  to  save  them  by  killing  another;  and  that  it  was  not  the  duty  of  a 
Christian  to  kill  any  body  but  when  the  safety  of  his  own  life,  or  that  of 
a  third  person,  should  render  it  absolutely  necessary.  But  our  Hottentots 
took  another  view  of  the  subject,  and  looked  upon  themselves  as  competent 
to  make  use  of  their  arms,  as  well  to  defend  thtir  goods  as  their  lives  ; 
they  also  showed  too  plainly  that  they  had  obtained  a  certain  degree  of 
pleasure  in  fighting.  We  were  not  at  all  pleased  with  this,  because  our 
intention  was  to  gain  our  enemies  by  a  soft  and  amiable  behaviour;  and 
thus  by  no  means  to  provoke  them  by  a  hostile  opposition.  Besides  this, 
we  foresaw  that  the  enemy,  reinforcing  himself  more  and  more,  at  last 
would  be  able  to  lead  on  a  superior  power,  sufficient  to  destroy  us  entirely." 

These  successive  attacks  induced  them  very  properly  to 
take  refuge,  with  their  300  people,  in  Fort  Frederick.  Here 
they  remained  for  a  time,  continuing  their  religious  services 
under  circumstances  more  distressing  to  the  minds  of  the 
missionaries  than  the  horrors  of  savage  fury  from  which 
they  had  escaped.  They  were  associated  with  those  who 
had  the  misfortune  to  he  comparative  strangers  to  the 
means  of  grace,  and  inured  to  a  recklessness  of  feeling  in 
regard  to  eternal  realities,  w4iich  a  life  of  warfare  has  (we 
may  presume  since  the  days  of  Cain)  produced  on  tribes 
once  civilized  and  refined  in  taste  and  feeling.  This 
exposed  their  people  to  seduction,  drunkenness,  and  other 
vices. 

After  the  arrival  of  General  Janssen,  the  colony  having 
been  ceded  to  the  Dutch,  a  spot  was  granted  on  which  to 
fix  a  permanent  station ;  and  on  the  2nd  of  June,  they  took 
up  their  abode  on  Kooboo,  which  from  that  period  they 
called  Bethelsdorp.  This  situation,  from  its  sterility  and 
want  of  water,  soon  convinced  them  that  it  was  most 
unsuitable  for  a  missionary  farm  ]  and  the  only  wonder  is, 
that  it  should  have  been  permitted  to  continue,  and  even 
become,  in  many  respects,  a  sinking  fund,  while  both  mis- 
sionaries and  people  (a  small  number)  were  compelled  to 
live  a  hungry,  self  denying  life.  Five  years  after  its  com- 
mencement, they  write  to  the  Directors,  that  they  had  been 
without  bread  for  a  long  time,  and  did  not  expect  to  procure 
any  for  three  or  four  months  ;  neither  were  there  any  vege- 
tables, owing  to  the  barrenness  of  the  soil.  This,  of  course, 
was  a  grievous  impediment  to  their  labours,  and  an  effectual 
barrier  to  the  very  objects  for  which  this  station  was  selected  ; 
and  it  is  a  kind  of  madness  to  expend  large  sums  and  great 
toil  on  such  a  waste,  except  for  the  purpose  of  having  a 
modern  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness.  Yet,  notwithstanding 
all  these  discouraging  circumstances,   many  were  the  de- 


DEATH  OF  DR.  VANDEllKEMP.  37 

monstrations  of  the  Divine  blessing  on  their  labours.  "  The 
progress  also  of  their  scholars  in  learning  to  read  and  write, 
Avas  astonishing  to  them,  and  above  all,  their  facility  in 
acquiring  religious  knowledge,  knowing,  as  they  did  full 
Avell,  the  peculiar  apathy,  stupidity,  and  aversion  to  any 
exertion,  mental  or  corporeal,  which  characterises  the 
natives."  Dr.  Vanderkemp  having,  with  true  Christian 
benevolence,  pleaded  the  cause  of  the  oppressed, — for  there 
were  oppressions,  national  and  individual,  wliieh  we  must 
leave  till  that  day  when  every  one  will  receive  according  to 
the  deeds  done  in  the  body  ; — the  great  struggle  commenced 
which  terminated,  through  the  persevering  exertions  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Philip,  on  July  ITth,  1828,  in  the  effectual  eman- 
cipation of  the  Hottentots.  All  the  contentions,  heart-burn- 
ings, broken  heads,  and  broken  hearts  which  marked  the 
long  struggle,  will  appear  hereafter  in  the  page  of  history, 
like  the  conquest  of  Mexico  by  Cortez,  the  colonization  of 
America,  or  the  savagism  of  our  forefathers  in  their  border 
wars,  humbling,  but  instructive  mementos  to  succeeding 
generations.  Dr.  V.'s  interference  in  the  cause  of  suffering 
humanity,  or  rather  his  disclosure  of  some  of  tlie  wrongs  of 
the  Hottentots,  led  to  his  being  summoned,  with  Mr.  Read, 
to  Cape  Town,  to  appear  before  an  extraordinary  commis- 
sion appointed  by  Lord  Caledon.  This  was  followed  by 
most  important  results  ;  for  the  Doctor  having  been  fully 
borne  out  in  his  facts,  his  Excellency  directed  that  commis- 
sioners should  personally  visit  the  several  districts  where 
enormities  had  been  perpetrated,  and  that  the  guilty  should 
be  punished.  This  was  among  the  last  public  services 
which  Dr.  Vanderkemp  rendered  to  that  people,  who  bad 
now  been  the  object  of  his  solicitude  for  eleven  years.  He 
had  long  contemplated  a  mission  to  Madagascar,  and  though 
now  far  advanced  in  years,  his  soul  burned  with  youthful 
ardour  to  enter  on  that  perilous  undertaking.  It  was  in  his 
heart,  but  the  Great  Head  of  the  church  had  otherwise 
ordained  it ;  for  after  a  few  day.s'  illness,  he  closed  his  eyes 
on  tliis  world,  Dec.  15th,  1811,  after  breathing  out  the 
Ch^i.'^tian  assurance,  "  All  is  well." 

Tlius  ended  the  memorable  life  of  Dr.  Vanderkemp. 
Avoiding  the  extravagancies  of  momentary  feeling,  which 
declares  that  "  His  equal  is  not  to  be  found  upon  earth,  and 
that  he  was  little  behind  the  chiefest  apostles  of  our  Lord," 
we  nevertheless  cheerfully  concede  to  him  this  meed  of 
praise.  Few  men  would  have  encountered  the  storms 
which  he  braved,  and,  perhaps  fewer  still  have  been  more 

4 


38  VANDERKEMP'S  CHARACTER. 

conspiculously  distinguished  by  success  in  their  efforts  to 
emancipate  the  Hottentots  from  temporal  and  spiritual 
thraldom.  Divine  Providence,  from  time  to  time,  in  a 
remarkable  manner,  raises  up  men  adapted  to  certain 
situations,  apart  from  which,  they  would  have  been  like  the 
flower  which  "  wastes  its  sweetness  in  the  desert  air.'' 
Such  M^ere  Luther,  WicklifTe,  Knox,  and  a  host  of  others  ; 
and  though  those  who  well  knew  and  loved  Vanderkemp, 
would  charge  us  with  blind  partiality,  if  we  placed  him  on 
an  equality  with  those  distinguished  reformers  ;  yet  no  less 
can  be  said  of  his  labours,  than  that  they  were  those  of  an 
extraordinary  man :  and  considering  the  time  and  state  of 
affairs  in  the  colony  in  which  he  lived,  and  the  native 
character  of  the  tribes  among  whom  he  laboured,  the  grace 
of  God  made  him  the  honoured  instrument  of  doing  wonders. 
Dr.  Vanderkemp  was  the  friend  and  advocate  of  civil  liberty. 
The  condition  of  the  slaves  pressed  heavily  upon  his  mind, 
and  the  sufferings  of  those  who  had  embraced  the  Gospel, 
made  large  demands  on  his  almost  unbounded  generosity; 
so  that  he  expended  nearly  1000/.  of  his  personal  property  in 
unbinding  the  heavy  burdens,  and  setting  the  captives  free. 
It  is  probably  that  his  extreme  sympathy  with  this  enslaved 
people  induced  huTi,  with  more  feeling  than  judgment,  to 
choose  a  wife  from  amongst  them.  Being  a  most  unsuitable 
companion  for  such  a  person,  her  subsequent  conduct  cast  a 
gloom  over  the  remnant  of  his  days  of  suffering  and  toil; 
and  as  I  have  heard  it  remarked  by  one  who  knew  him 
well,  undoubtedly  accelerated  his  death.  It  was  from  his 
lips  that  the  Kafirs  (a  nation  of  atheists)  first  heard  the 
Gospel,  the  theme  of  Divine  love  ;  and  if  we  cast  our  eyes 
over  the  history  of  missions,  and  the  successes  of  the  ''  Mar- 
tyr of  Erromanga,"  we  see  at  once  the  value  of  a  pioneer 
of  almost  any  description,  and  more  especially  of  such  a 
pioneer  as  Dr.  Vanderkemp.  He  was  the  first  public 
defender  of  the  rights  of  the  Hottentot.  Although  his 
expansive  sympathy  betrays  not  unfrequently  in  his  writings 
what  iTiay  be  deemed  instability  of  purpose,  it  is  obviously 
attributable  to  a  benevolent  desire  to  grasp  the  whole  of  the 
race,  while  his  eyes,  wandering  around  the  tempestuous 
horizon,  sought  a  haven  in  wliich  to  shelter  them  from  the 
storm.  He  counted  not  his  own  life  dear  to  himself;  for 
when  advised  for  his  own  safety  to  leave  the  Hottentots  for 
a  season,  his  reply  was,  "  If  I  knew  that  I  should  save  my 
own  life  by  leaving  them,  I  should  not  fear  to  offer  that 
life  for  the  least  child  amongst  them."     In  tliis,  though 


VANDERKEMP's    CHARACTER.  39 

wanting  in  prudence,  he  displayed  a  magnanimity  of  soul 
which,  in  other  circumstances,  would  have  called  iorth  the 
applause  of  a  nation. 

But  it  may  be  said  that  this  is  a  partial  view  of  the  cha- 
racter of  this  great  man  ;   and  it  is  only  just  to  admit  that  the 
Doctor  was  eccentric  ;   and  many,  very  many  of  his  personal 
hardships  were   self-inflicted.      Though  his   mission  to   the 
Kafirs  was  a  bold,  and,  in  Africa,  an  unprecedented  under- 
taking, he  was  always  within   the  reach   of  civilized  men  ; 
and  except  when  Gaika  detained  him  a  short  time   in  the 
country,  he  had  always  an  asylum  open  to  receive  him.      His 
trials  in  this  respect  were   very  different   from   those   of  the 
founders  of  the  Namaoua   and   Griqua   Missions,  who  were 
hundreds  of  miles  beyond  the  abodes  of  civilized  society,  and 
the  protecting  arm    of  civil  power.      In  a  colonial   village, 
where  there  were  many  who  admired,  and  were  ready  to 
serve  him,  the  Doctor  would  go  out  to  the   water,  washing 
his  own  linen  ;   and  frequently  at  home  and  abroad,  he  would 
dispense  with  hat,  shirt,  and  shoes,  while  tlie  patron  and  ad- 
vocate of  civilization.      These  were  anomalies  and  shades  of 
character,  which  of  course  added  nothing  to  his   usefulness, 
while  his  ultra  notions  on  the  subject  of  predestination  left  a 
leaven  in  some  of  the    African  churches,  which  it   required 
the  labour  of  many  years  to  remove.      It  is  also  but  justice 
to  add,  that  Dr.  Vanderkemp   was  not  without  sympathy  ; 
there  were   many  noble-minded   colonists   who   took  a  deep 
interest  in  his  sufferings  and  labours  ;  who  felt  strong  com- 
passion for  the  spiritual  destitution  of  the  Hottentot  race,  and 
the  slave  population  ;   and  who  were   liberal  in   supporting 
the  cause.      Stiumlated  by  the  example  of  Vanderkemp  and 
Kicherer,  they  laboured  to  promote   the   kingdom   of  Christ 
among  the  aborigines.      These  were  noble  minds  who  M'ept 
over  the  country's,wrongs  ;   and  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  con- 
ceive the  Doctor's  leelings  when  on   his  journey  to   Graaff 
Reinet,  beyond  the  Gamka  River,  he  came  to  the  house  of 
Mr.  de  Beer,  who,  on  hearing  the  object   of  the   party,  "  re- 
ceived them  with  unconnnon  joy  ;"   and   calling  his  family 
and  slaves  together,  fell   upon   his  knees,  and   uttered  this 
remarkable  prayer: — '  O  Lord,  thou  hast  afflicted  me  with 
inexpressible  grief  in  taking  my  child  from  me,  whom  1  buried 
this  day  ;  but  now  thou  rejoicest  my  soul   with  joy  greater 
tlian  all  my  grief,  in  showing  me  that  thou  hast  heard  my 
prayers  for  the  conversion  of  the  Kafirs,  and  giving  me  to 
see  this  moment  the  fulfilment  of  thy  promises."     He  then 


4U  FIRST    MISSION    TO   AFRICA. 

addressed  himself  to  tliem,  and  sang  several  psalms  and 
hymns,  relative  to  the  calling  of  the  heathen. 

Dr.  Vanderkemp's  death  was  a  stroke  severely  felt ;  but 
He  who  had  called  him  from  his  labours,  continued  to  bless 
the  seed  sown,  under  the  fostering  care  of  Mr.  Read  and 
others.  Bethelsdorp,  under  many  difficulties  and  disadvan- 
tages, grew  and  multiplied.  New  churches  were  planted  at 
Pacaltsdorp,  Theopolis,  and  other  places,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  the  Rev.  J.  Campbell,  in  his  first  visit  to 
Africa,  who  on  that  occasion  was  the  means  of  giving  a  new 
impulse  to  the  spirit  of  missions  there,  as  well  as  among  the 
churches  at  home. 

The  Kat  River  mission  was  commenced  at  the  sujrjres- 
tion  of  the  Hon.,  now  Sir  A.  Stockenstrom,  and  was,  so  far 
as  the  plan  went,  a  measure  which  will  reflect  lasting  honour 
on  the  memory  of  that  enlightened  and  liberal  individual.* 
To  the  beautiful  and  fertile  Kafir  vales,  the  principal  of  the 
Hottentots  from  Bethelsdorp,  Theopolis,  and  other  places, 
flocked.  This  was  a  seasonable  movement,  as  those  sta- 
tions were  no  longer,  after  the  emancipation  of  that  people, 
asylums  to  those  who  were  active  and  willing  to  earn  a 
competence  elsewhere.  The  results  of  the  mission  at  Phi- 
liptown,  and  its  branches,  the  members  of  which  had  been 
culled  from  those  in  the  colony,  have  been  such  as  to  prove 
that  tlie  plan  was  well  laid,  and  carried  into  efficient  opera- 
tion. The  last  year's  report  of  Kat  River  station  exhibits 
500  members  in  the  chiu'ch,  and  912  children  and  adults  in 
the  schools  ;  while  their  subscriptions  to  the  support  of  the 
mission  are  liberal, — though,  I  am  aware,  far  from  being 
equal  to  the  entire  expenses,  as  many  of  the  friends  of  mis- 
sions have  been  led  to  expect,  and  which  was  anticipated  at 
Bethelsdorp  many  years  ago. 

The  colonial  stations,  though  deprived  of  the  most  influ- 
ential and  intelligent  of  their  inhabitant.s,  continue  to  strug- 
gle and  pro.sper.  Bethelsdorp  still  maintains  comparative 
respectability,  under  the  devoted  but  noiseless  labours  of 
Mr.  Kitchingman.  We  have  now  within  the  limits  of  the 
colony  sixteen  stations,  and  about  thirty  Missionaries.     How 

*  The  author  does  not  wish  it  to  he  understood  that  he  approve.?  of  the 
policy  which  deprived  the  Kafirs  of  that  rich  and  fertile  portion  of  their 
territories,  and  gave  it  to  the  Hottentots.  Bannister,  in  his  "Humane 
Policy,"  makes  the  following  very  judicious  remark  on  the  subject : — "  To 
obtain  land  for  any  portion  of  that  oppressed  race,  is  so  good  an  act,  that 
it  would  be  ungracious  to  look  harshly  at  the  mode  ot  doing  it,  if  our 
character  for  justice  to  others  were  not  involved  in  the  particular  way 
chosen." 


KAFIR    MISSION    RESUMED.  41 

would  the  venerable  Vanderltemp  gaze,  were  he  to  rise,  and 
behold  the  harvest  which  has  been  gatliered  in,  from  the 
people  whose  ignorance  and  degradation  called  forth  all  the 
sympathies  and  energies  of  his  enlightened  mind! 

'  "  The  troubles  of  departeo  years 

Bring  joys  unknown  before, 
And  soul-re freshincr  are  the  tears 
O'er  wounds  that  bleed  no  more."* 

But  to  return  to  Kafir-land,  wliere  the  veteran  sowed  in 
tears,  but  where  Missionaries  of  different  societies  now  reap 
in  joy.  It  was  not  bef ire  the  year  1816,  in  the  month  of 
July,  that  a  successful  effort  was  made  by  Mr.  Joseph  Wil- 
liams. At  that  time,  with  his  wife  and  child,  he  took  up  his 
abode  at  the  Kat  River.  Short  as  Dr.  Vanderkemp's  la- 
bours among  the  Kafirs  were,  he  left  a  savour  of  the  Gospel 
behind  him,  which  prepared  the  way  for  others,  after  many 
long  years  liad  rolled  by,  during  whitthmany  of  the  Doctor's 
acquaintances  had  been  taught,  by  fearful  lessons,  not,  alas ! 
to  admire  the  nation  of  whites,  but  rather  to  increase  their 
suspicions  and  alarms.  But  Jankanna's  (Vanderkemp's) 
name  still  diffused  a  fragrance  among  the  yet  untamed  and 
unsubdued  Kafirs.  Intercourse  Avith  the  missionary  station 
at  Bf'thelsdorp  kept  up  tliis  delightful  feeling ;  and  Messrs. 
Read  and  Williams,  in  their  previous  reconnoitering  journey, 
were  hailed  as  the  sons  of  Jankanna. 

Most  au.spicious  was  the  commencement  of  this  mission, 
while  the  energy  and  devotedness  of  Williams,  with  the 
party  he  took  with  him  from  Bethelsdorp,  were  soon  likely, 
under  the  Divine  blessing,  to  make  the  wilderness  and  soli- 
tary place  rejoice.  Temporary  houses  were  raised,  ground 
Avas  cleared  for  cultivation,  a  water-course  and  dam  were 
in  preparation,  while  the  Kafirs  assembled  for  daily  instruc- 
tion ;  and  the  beautiful  vale  which  had  often  echoed  to  the 
din  of  savage  war.  was  likely  soon  to  become  a  peaceful  Zion, 
to  which  the  Kafir  tribes  would  repair  to  hold  their  solemn 
feasts.  Little  more  than  two  years  had  run  their  round, 
when  Williams  was  numbered  with  the  dead.  His  beloved 
partner,  (now  Mr.s.  Robson,)  a  woman  of  no  common  forti- 
tude, was  his  sole  attendant  in  the  lonely  vale,  and  sg,w  in 
her  expiring  liu.sband  the  bright  prospects  they  had  of  per- 
manent success  among  the  Kafirs,  and  into  which  she  had 
entered  with  all  her  energies  of  mind  and  body,  blasted  for 
a  season.     About  to  be  left  with  two  fatherless  babes,  her 

*  James  IMontgomery. 

4* 


4%  Williams's  death. 

circumstances,  were  such  as  even  her  own  pen  would  fall  to 
describe  ;  but  the  widow's  God  was  there.  Take,  for  ex- 
ample, the  following  extract  from  her  journal.  After  being 
enabled  to  resign  her  dearest  earthly  friend,  she  asked  one 
of  the  Kafirs  if  he  had  "  No  wish  to  see  his  teacher  before 
the  Lord  took  him  to  himself?  '  Yes,'  was  his  reply,  '  but  I 
do  not  like  to  ask  you,  because  I  think  it  will  make  j'^our 
heart  sore.'  He  then  approached,  and  sat  down  by  the  bed- 
side. I  asked  him  if  lie  prayed !  '  Yes,'  he  said.  And 
what  do  you  pray  for  ?  'I  pray  the  Lord,  as  he  had  brought 
us  a  teacher  over  the  great  sea  water,  and  hath  thus  long 
spared  him  to  tell  us  His  word,  that  He  would  be  pleased  to 
raise  him  up  again  to  tell  us  more  of  that  Great  Word.'  I 
asked,  Do  you  pray  for  me  ?  '  Yes  ;  I  pray  that  if  the  Lord 
should  take  away  your  husband  from  you,  he  would  support 
and  protect  you  and  your  little  ones  in  the  midst  of  this  wild 
and  barbarous  people.'  " 

Cheerless  and  lonely  must  have  been  the  first  days  of  her 
widowhood.  She  instructed  her  semi-civilized  attendants  to 
prepare  the  wood,  and  make  a  coffin  ;  and,  with  a  weeping- 
band,  followed  the  desire  of  her  eyes  to  the  silent  dust,  there 
to  slumber  till  the  morning  of  the  resurrection,  when  He 
who  cuts  short  his  work  in  righteousness,  will  show  that 
Williams,  in  his  short  career,  finished  the  work  given  him  to 
do.  I  saw  no  monument  to  mark  his  tomb  :  but  he  has  left 
an  imperishable  one,  in  having  been  the  means  of  lighting 
up  the  torch  of  Divine  truth,  which,  notwithstanding  the 
political  war,  strife,  and  bloodshed  which  followed  between 
the  Kafirs  and  the  Colonists,  was  not  extinguished,  but 
served  to  lighten  the  path  of  those  who  followed  in  his  wake. 
To  this  every  missionary  has  borne  ample  testimony;  and 
his  labours  were  blessed  to  an  extent  far  beyond  his  most 
sanguine  expectations.  So  much  had  this  good  man  gained 
on  the  confidence  of  the  Kafirs,  that  Gaika  himse.f,  during 
the  season  of  political  discord,  had  more  confidence  in  the 
rectitude  of  the  missionary  than  in  any  one  of  the  local 
authorities,  or  even  in  the  governor  himself 

Thus  again  was  the  candle  removed  from  Kafir-land,  and 
the  policy  of  that  age  refused,  at  that  time,  to  allow  another 
missionary  to  proceed  to  M^ater  the  seed  sown  by  Mr.  Wil- 
liams. Mr.  Brownlee  was  ultimately  appointed  as  mission- 
ary in  the  service  of  government,  and  commenced  a  mission 
at  the  Chumic  in  1820.*      He   was  followed  and  supported 

*  Mr.  Brownlee  soon  attaelied  himself  again  to  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  and,  continuing  at  his  post,  has  had  the  honour  and  happiness  to 


EFFECTS  OF  THE  GOSPEL.  43 

by  the  Glasgow  missionaries,  and  last,  though  not  least,  tho 
Wesleyan  missionaries  entered  the  field  ;  and  now  they  pre- 
sent a  band  of  labourers  whose  endeavours,  if  they  contimio 
to  receive  the  Divine  blessing,  bid  fair  to  subdue  tliat  people 
to  the  sceptre  of  Jesus,  prevent  the  rapine  and  bloodsiied 
which  characterised  by-gone  years,  and  in  the  late  destruc- 
tive war,  and  save  a  nation  from  ruin.  Already  the  warrior 
has  exchanged  the  hoarse  war  song  for  the  anthems  of  peace 
and  love,  while  the  printing  press  is  called  into  operation  to 
transfer  into  their  own  language  the  oracles  of  God.  L;'t 
lis  hail  the  triumph  of  the  cross,  by  whomsoever  it  may  be 
borne,  as  all  have  one  undivided  object,  the  glory  of  God  in 
the  salvation  of  man. 

"  Yes,  for  a  season  Satan  may  prevail, 

And  hold  as  if  secure,  his  dark  domain; 

The  prayers  of  rijrhtt'ous  men  may  seem  to  fail, 

And  Heaven's  glad  tidings  be  prucl.iimed  in  vain. 

But  wait  in  faith  ;  ere  long  shall  s|>ri)ig  again 

The  seed  that  seemed  to  perish  in  the  ground  ; 

And,  fertilized  by  Zion's  latter  ruin, 

The  long-parched  land  shall  laugh,  with  harvests  crown'd, 
And  throUjjh  those  silent  wastes  Jehovah's  praise  resound." 


CHAPTER    IV. 

It  is  of  vast  importance   to  notice  the  first,  though  appa- 
rently obscure  indications  of  the  will  of  Him  who,  while  he 

"  Rides  upon  the  stormy  sky. 
And  managt's  the  seas," 


witness  the  increase  of  missionary  labours  in  Kafir-land,  where  he  toiled 
hard,  and  suffered  much,  long  before  any  others  were  permitted  to  enter 
that  country  at  all.  One  of  our  Wesleyan  brethren,  fully  competent  to 
judge,  now  in  This  country,  remarks,  that  "his  labours  have  l)een  inde- 
fatigable, though  unostentatious;  and  to  place  this  worthy  mun  in  his 
proper  position,  it  is  not  indeed  necessary  to  imitate  the  nnh.illnwed  prac- 
tice of  some,  who  to  accomplish  a  purpose,  or  to  gratify  party  s|)irit,  invi- 
diously and  fulsomely  cry  up  one  missionary  at  the  expense  of  his  brethren, 
whose  labours,  though  7ioisd'\^s,  have  been  far  more  abundant."  The 
London  Missionary  Society  has  now  five  stations  in  Kafir-land,  including 
one  for  the  Bushmen  in  the  Tambookie  country;  the  two  Glasgow  So- 
cieties, six  ;  and  the  Wesleyan  Society,  twelve. 


44  ZAK   RIVER    MISSION. 

condescends  to  stoop  from  his  throne  amidst  unapproachable 
glory,  to  render  means  the  most  feeble  and  unthought  of,  the 
guide  and  pole-star  of  his  servants,  whom  he  has  commis- 
sioned to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature. 

While  Dr.  Vanderkemp  and  Edmonds  proceeded  to  Kafir- 
land,  Messrs.  Kicherer,  Kramer,  and  Edwards  bent  their 
course  to  the  Zak  River,  between  400  and  500  miles  north- 
east of  Cape  Town. 

Who  would  have  supposed  for  a  moment  that  Kicherer's 
course,  which  was  originally  towards  Kafir-land,  would  have 
been  diverted  by  Bushmen-ambassadors,  the  feeblest,  poor- 
est, most  degraded  and  despised  of  all  the  sable  sons  of 
Ham  ?  It  appears  that  some  time  previous,  while  the  church 
at  home  was  engaged  in  prayer,  that  the  great  Head  of  the 
church  would  open  a  door  for  his  servants,  whom  they  were 
sending  forth,  a  treaty  had  been  made  between  the  Bush- 
men and  Florus  Fischer,  with  other  farmers,  who  had  sufler* 
ed  terribly  in  their  flocks  and  herds,  from  these  depredators 
of  the  desert.  The  Bushmen  seeing  Florus  Fischer,  wlio 
was  a  good  man,  solemnly  appeal  to  Almighty  God  to  wit- 
ness the  transaction,  and  observing  that  he  Avas  in  the  habit 
of  assembling  his  family  for  worship,  morning  and  evening, 
were  led  to  inquire  into  the  Divine  character,  and  to  solicit 
a  Christian  teacher.  Mr.  Fischer  cheerfully  afforded  en- 
couragement; and,  though  it  appeared  something  like  hop- 
ing against  hope,  he,  at  their  request,  took  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal of  them  to  Cape  Town  for  this  purpose. 

They  arrived  there  just  before  our  brethren,  a  circum- 
stance which  left  the  latter  no  reason  to  doubt  of  being  call- 
ed of  God  to  labour  in  that  quarter.  The  brethren  received 
unbounded  kindness  and  attention  from  the  government,  and 
assistance  from  the  farmers,  who  loaded  them  with  things 
requisite  to  commence  the  station  ;  while  some  accompanied 
them  to  the  spot  they  first  selected,  which  they  named 
"  Happy  Prospect."  Here  Messrs.  Kicherer  and  Kramer 
laboured  with  primitive  zeal  and  simplicity,  to  raise  the  most 
abject  of  our  species  ;  and  had  not  their  faith  been  strong  in 
the  promises  of  God,  they  must  have  sunk  under  the  very 
thought  of  making  an  attempt. 

At  the  present  period  of  advanced  knowledge  in  mission- 
ary enterprise,  however,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  according  to 
the  common  course  of  events,  the  circumstances  under  which 
that  mission  was  commenced,  were  ominous  of  its  short  du- 
ration.    Godj  in  his  infinite  wisdom  had  other,  and  far  more 


DIFFICULTIES    AND    SUCCESSES.  45 

extensive  ends  to  accomplish,  than  simply  a  mission  to  the 
Bushmen. 

Zak  River  became  the  finger-post  to  the  Namaqnas.  Ca- 
rannas,  Griquas,  and  Bechuanas ;  for  it  was  by  means  of 
that  mission  that  these  tribes,  and  their  condition,  became 
known  to  the  Christian  world.  Kircherer  had  great  comfort 
in  his  intercourse  with  many  good  farmers,  who  exerted 
themselves  with  commendable  liberality  in  favour  of  the  ob- 
ject he  had  in  view.  He  was  soon  encouraged  by  the  ac- 
ces.sion  of  many  Hottentots  and  Bastards  to  the  station, 
without  whose  assistance  it  would  not  have  been  possible  for 
him  to  have  lived,  as  he  afterwards  found.  The  Bushmen, 
with  few  exceptions,  could  never  appreciate  his  object;  but, 
as  a  people,  continued  to  harass  and  impoverish  those  who 
remained  attaclied  to  the  objects  of  the  missionar3\  Mr. 
K.'s  lii'e  was  more  than  once  threatened,  but  his  unremitting 
labours,  and  those  of  Mr.  Kramer,  were  signally  blessed  in 
the  conversion  of  a  number  of  Hottentots  and  Bastards  ;  and 
in  the  details  of  the  mission,  the  names  of  individuals  are 
mentioned,  who  afterwards  became  the  pillars  of  the  Griqua 
mi.ssion  ;  and  from  whose  lips  the  writer  has  frequently  heard 
M'ith  delight,  the  records  of  bj'-gone  years,  when  they  listen- 
ed to  the  voice  of  Kicherer,  Anderson,  and  Kramer,  at  the 
Zak  and  Orange  Rivers.  Unhappily  the  company  and 
countenance  of  the  Bushmen  could  not  be  commanded  v.ith- 
out  a  daily  portion  of  victuals  and  tobacco,  of  which  Mr, 
Kicherer  had  received  an  ample  supply  from  the  farmers. 
This  practice,  however  kindly  intended,  doubtless  contributed 
to  the  early  failure  of  the  mission.  'J'he  country  in  which 
the  mission  was  fixed,  was  sterile  in  the  extreme,  and  rain 
so  seldom  fell,  that  they  were  obliged  to  depend  on  foreign 
supplies.  Mr.  Kicherer  having  visited  Europe,  on  his  return 
found  the  mission  in  a  suITering  state.  Having  little  hope 
of  recruiting  it,  he  entered  the  Dutch  church,  and  was  ap- 
pointed minister  at  GraafF  Reinet.  He  leit  the  station  in 
charge  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  Vo^ss ;  and  a  Mr.  Botrna,  a  farm- 
er, who  had  sold  all  he  had  to  aid  the  mission,  and  supply 
the  absence  of  Mr.  K.  These  men  not  having  equal  re- 
sources with  the  founders  of  the  mission,  though  distinguish- 
ed by  exemplary  patience,  great  privations,  and  hardships, 
from  drought,  and  the  plundering  Bushmen,  were  compelled 
to  abandon  the  station.  This  event  took  place  in  1806,  and 
Mr.  A.  Voss  makes  the  following  pathetic  remark  on  that 
mission's  requiem  :  "  This  day  we  leave  Zak  River,  the  place 
which  has  cost  us  so  many  sighs,  tears,  and  drops  of  sweat! 


46  THE    CONDITION   OF    BUSHMEN. 

that  place  in  which  we  have  laboured  so  many  days  and 
nights,  for  the  salvation  of  immortal  souls :  the  place  which, 
probably  before  long,  will  become  a  heap  of  ruins."  Thus 
terminated  the  mission  to  Zak  River,  on  which  the  directors 
at  home  could  not  help  looking  with  the  deepest  sympathy, 
as  the  people  were  some  of  the  first-fruits  of  their  labours ; 
but  they  were  consoled  by  the  reflection,  that  those  who  fol- 
lowed their  teachers  to  the  vicinity  of  Graaff  Reinet,  con- 
tinued to  receive  instruction,  and  that  the  missionaries  enter- 
ed into  other  fields  of  successful  labour. 

When  the  character  and  condition  of  the  Bushmen  are 
taken  into  consideration,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that 
the  Missionaries  found  it  up-hill  work  to  obtain  a  settlement 
among  them.      With   the   exception  of  the   Troglodytes,  a 
people   said  by  Pliny  to  exist  in  the   interior  of  Northern 
Africa,  no  tribe  or  people  are  surely  more  brutish,  ignorant, 
and  miserable,  than  the  Bushmen  of  the  interior  of  Southern 
Africa.      They  have  neither  house  nor  shed,  neither  flocks 
nor   herds.      Their   most    dehghtful  home  is    "  afar  in  the 
desert,"   the  unfrequented  mountain  pass,  or  the    secluded 
recesses  of  a  cave  or  ravine.      They  remove  from  place  to 
place,    as   convenience    or   necessity    requires.      The    man 
takt's  his  spear,  and  suspends  his   bow  and    quiver   on  his 
shoulder;  while  the  woman  frequently,  in  addition  to  the 
burden  of  a  helpless  infant,  carries  a  mat,  an  earthen  pot,  a 
number  of  ostrich  egg-shells,  and  a  few  ragged  skins,  bun- 
dled on  her  head  or  shoulder;    and  these   Saabs,  as  they 
have  been  designated,  bearing  in  their  character  a  striking 
resemblance  to  the  Sauneys,  or  Balala,  (poor.)  among  the 
Bechuanas,  have,  with  few  exceptions,  as  already  shown, 
been  from  time  immemorial  the  sons  of  the  field.      Accus- 
tomed to  a  migratory  life,  and  entirely  dependent  on  the 
chase    for  a  precarious    subsi.stence,   they  have    contracted 
habits  which  could  scarcely  be   credited  of  human  beings. 
These  habits  have  by  no  means  been  improved  by  incessant 
conflict  with  their  superior  neighbours,  who,  regarding  might 
as  identical  with  right,  kill  their  game,  plunder  their  honey 
nests,  seize  upon  their  fountains,  and  deprive  them  of  their 
country.      Anomalous  as  it  may  appear,  this  has  been  the 
custom   of  all   the   more    civilized   tribes,  the  colonists  not 
excepted.      Dr.  Lichtenstein  asks,  "  What  had  a  people  like 
the  Bushmen  to  lose — they  who   are  every  where  at  home, 
who  know  not  the   value   of  any  land  ?"    To  this  I  would 
reply.  He  loses  the  means  of  subsistence  ;   and  what  more 
can  the  richest  monarch  lose  ?    I  recollect  having  felt  grate- 


BUSHMEN    RESOURCES    AND  HABITS.  47 

ful  to  a  poor  Busbwoman  for  a  meal  of  the  larvse  of  ants ; 
and  had  that  otherwise  intelhgent  traveller  been  similarly 
circumstanced,  he,  perhaps,  would  have  been  tempted  to 
say,  "  Behold,  I  am  at  the  point  to  die,  and  what  profit 
shall  this  birthright  do  to  me  ?"  Under  such  circumstances, 
the  jjems  of  Golconda  would  not  liave  satisfied  the  cravino-s 
of  hunger.  Poor  Bushman!  thy  hand  has  been  against 
every  one,  and  every  one's  hand  against  thee.  For  genera- 
tions past  they  have  been  hunted  like  partridges  in  the 
mountains.  Deprived  of  what  nature  had  made  their  own, 
they  became  desperate,  wild,  fierce,  and  indomitable  in  their 
habits.  Hunger  compels  them  to  feed  on  every  thing  edible. 
Ixias,  wild  garlic,  mysembryanthemums,  the  core  of  aloes, 
gum  of  acacias,  and  several  other  plants  and  berries,  some 
of  which  are  extremely  unwholesome,  constitute  their  fruits 
of  the  field  ;  while  almost  every  kind  of  living  creature  is 
eagerly  devoured,  lizards,  locusts,  and  grasshoppers  not 
excepted.  The  poisonous,  as  well  as  innoxious  serpents, 
they  roast  and  eat.  They  cut  olF  the  head  of  tlie  former, 
which  they  dissect,  and  carefully  extract  the  bags,  or  reser- 
voirs of  poison,  which  cominunicate  with  the  fangs  of  the 
upper  jaw.  They  mingle  it  with  the  milky  juice  of  the 
euphorbia,  or  with  that  of  a  poisonous  bulb.  After  simmer- 
ing f  )r  some  time  on  a  slow  fire,  it  acquires  the  consistency 
of  wax,  with  which  they  cover  the  points  of  their  arrow^s. 

Though  the  natives  of  South  Africa  have  an  aversion  to 
fish,  the  Buslimen  in  the  neighbourhood  of  rivers  make  very 
ingenious  ba.skets,  which  they  place  between  stones,  in  the 
centre  of  a  current,  and  thus  they  .sometimes  procure  a  fry 
offish,  which  in  their  frequent  necessity  must  be  acceptable. 
They  ascend  the  mountain's  brow  or  peak,  and,  with  an 
acuteness  of  sight  perhaps  superior  to  our  common  teles- 
copes, survey  the  plains  beneath,  either  to  discover  game  or 
cattle,  or  to  watch  the  movements  of  those  whose  herds 
they  may  have  stolen.  If  danger  approaches,  they  ascend 
almost  inaccessible  cliffs,  from  which  nothing  but  the  rifle 
ball  could  dislodge  them.  When  closely  pursued,  they  will 
take  refuge  in  dens  and  caves,  in  which  their  enemies  have 
sometimes  smothered  scores  to  death,  blocking  up  the 
entrances  with  brushwood,  and  setting  it  on  fire. 

One  characteristic  in  their  predatory  expeditions  is  ex- 
ceedingly provoking.  When  they  have'^taken  a  troop  of 
cattle,  their  first  object  is  to  escape  to  a  rendezvous,  a  cave 
or  an  overhanging  precipice,  or  some  sequestered  spot 
difficult  of  access  to  strangers  for  want  of  water.     As  soon 


48  PROVOKING   CTIARACTERTSTICS. 

as  they  perceive  that  any  of  the  cattle  are  too  fatigued  to 
proceed,  they  stab  thein  ;  and  if  the  pursuers  come  within 
sight,  and  there  is  the  shghtest  probabihty  of  their  being 
overtaken,  they  will  thrust  their  spears,  if  time  permit,  into 
every  animal  in  the  troop.  I  have  known  sixty  head  level- 
led in  this  way.  This  habit,  which  obtains  universally 
among  that  unfortunate  people,  exasperates  their  enemies 
to  the  last  degree,  and  vengeance  falls  on  men,  women,  and 
children,  whenever  they  come  within  reach  of  their  missiles. 
Though  their  poisoned  arrows  cannot  take  in  one-third  of 
the  length  of  a  musket-shot,  they  aim  with  great  precision. 
I  have  known  men  shot  dead  on  the  spot  with  poisoned 
arrows,  and  others  who  did  not  at  first  appear  to  be  mortally 
wounded,  I  have  seen  (he  in  convulsive  agony  in  a  few 
hours.  It  is  impossible  to  look  at  some  of  their  domiciles, 
without  the  inquiry  involuntarily  rising  in  the  mind — are 
these  the  abodes  of  human  beings?  In  a  bushy  country, 
they  will  form  a  hollow  in  a  central  position,  and  bring  the 
branches  together  over  the  head.  Here  the  man,  his  wife, 
and  probably  a  child  or  two,  lie  huddled  in  a  heap,  on  a 
little  grass,  in  a  hollow  spot,  not  larger  than  an  ostrich's 
nest.  Where  bushes  are  scarce,  they  form  a  hollow  under 
the  edge  of  a  rock,  covering  it  partially  with  reeds  or  grass, 
and  they  are  often  to  be  found  in  fissures  and  caves  of  the 
mountains.  When  they  have  abundance  of  meat,  they  do 
nothing  but  gorge  and  sleep,  dance  and  sing,  till  their  stock 
is  exhausted.  But  hunger,  that  imperious  ma.ster,  soon 
drives  him  to  the  chase.  It  is  astonishing  to  what  a  distance 
they  will  run  in  pursuit  of  the  animal  which  has  received 
the  fatal  arrow.  I  have  seen  them,  on  the  succes.':ful 
return  of  a  hunting  party,  the  merriest  of  the  merry,  exhibit- 
ing bursts  of  enthusiastic  joy  ;  while  their  momentary  l^appi- 
ness,  contrasted  with  their  real  condition,  produced  on  my 
mind  the  deepest  sorrow.  Many  suffer  great  distress  when 
the  weather  is  cold  and  rainy,  during  which  not  unfrequently 
tVieir  children  perish  from  hunger.  A  most  inhuman  prac- 
tice also  prevails  among  tliern,  that  when  a  mother  dies, 
whose  infant  is  not  able  to  shift  for  itself,  it  is,  without  any 
ceremony,  buried  alive  with  the  corpse  of  its  mother.* 

To  the  above  melancholy  description,  may  be  added  the 
testimony  of  Mr.  Kicherer,  whose  circumstances  while  living 
among  them,  afibrded  abundant   opportunities  of  becoming 

*  The  author  had  a  boy  brought  up  in  his  own  house,  who  was  thus 
rescued  from  hi.s  mother's  grave,  when  only  two  years  old. 


CRUELTY   TO   OFFSPRING.  49 

intimately  acquainted  with  their  real  condition.  "  Their 
manner  of  life  is  extremely  wretched  and  disgusting.  They 
delight  to  besmear  their  bodies  with  the  fat  of  animals, 
mingled  with  ochre,  and  sometimes  with  grime.  They  are 
utter  strangers  to  cleanliness,  as  they  never  wash  their  bo- 
dies, but  suffer  the  dirt  to  accumulate,  so  that  it  will  hang  a 
considerable  length  from  their  elbows.  Their  huts  are  form- 
ed by  digging  a  hole  in  the  earth  about  three  feet  deep,  and 
then  making  a  roof  of  reeds,  which  is  however  insufficient  to 
keep  off  the  rains.  Here  they  lie  close  together  like  pigs  in 
a  sty.  They  are  extremely  lazy,  so  that  nothing  will  rouse 
them  to  action  but  excessive  hunger.  They  will  continue 
several  days  together  without  food  rather  than  be  at  the 
pains  of  procuring  it.  When  compelled  to  sally  forth  for 
prey,  they  are  dexterous  at  destroying  the  various  beasts 
which  abound  in  the  country  ;  and  they  can  run  almost  as 
well  as  a  horse.  They  are  total  strangers  to  domestic  hap- 
piness. The  men  have  several  wives,  but  conjugal  affection 
is  little  known.  They  take  no  great  care  of  their  children, 
and  never  correct  them  except  in  a  fit  of  rage,  when  they 
almost  kill  them  by  severe  usage.  In  a  quarrel  between  fa- 
ther and  mother,  or  the  several  wives  of  a  husband,  the  de- 
feated party  wreaks  his  or  her  vengeance  on  the  child  of  the 
conqueror,  which  in  general  loses  its  life.  Tame  Hottentots 
seldom  destroy  their  children,  except  in  a  fit  of  passion  ;  but 
the  Bushmen  will  kill  their  children  without  remorse,  on  va- 
rious occasions ;  as  when  they  are  ill-shaped,  when  they  are 
in  want  of  food,  when  the  father  of  a  child  has  forsaken  its 
mother,  or  when  obliged  to  flee  from  the  farmers  or  others  ; 
in  which  case  they  wiU  strangle  them,  smother  them,  cast 
them  away  in  the  desert,  or  bury  them  alive.  There  are  in- 
stances of  parents  throwing  their  tender  offspring  to  the  hun- 
gry lion,  who  stands  roaring  before  their  cavern,  refusing  to 
depart  till  some  peace-offering  be  made  to  him.  In  general 
their  children  cease  to  be  the  objects  of  a  mother's  care  as 
soon  as  they  are  able  to  crawl  about  in  the  field.  In  some 
few  instances,  however,  you  meet  with  a  spark  of  natural 
affection,  which  places  them  on  a  level  with  the  brute  crea- 
tion." Oh  the  miseries  to  which  human  nature  is  heir ! 
Hard  is  the  Bushman's  lot,  friendless,  forsaken,  an  outcast 
from  the  world,  greatly  preferring  the  company  of  the  beasts 
of  prey  to  that  of  civilized  man.     His  gorah*  soothes  some 

*  The  gorah  is  an  instrument  something  like  the  bow  of  a  viohn,  rather 
more  curved,  along  which  is  stretched  a  cat-gut,  to  which  is  attached  a 
small  piece  of  quill.     The  player  takes  the  quill  in  his  mouth,  and  by 

5 


50  ■      MISSION   TO   TOORNBERG. 

solitary  hours,  although  its  sounds  are  often  responded  to  by 
the  lion's  roar,  or  the  hyena's  howl.  He  knows  no  God, 
knows  nothing  of  eternity,  yet  dreads  death ;  and  has  no 
shrine  at  which  he  leaves  his  cares  or  sorrows.  We  can 
scarcely  conceive  of  human  beings  descending  lower  in  the 
scale  of  ignorance  and  vice  ;  while  yet  there  can  be  no 
question  that  they  are  children  of  one  common  parent  with 
ourselves,  if,  during  a  period  of  4000  years,  they  have  sunk 
thus  low,-  what  would  the  world  become  if  left  without  Di- 
vine revelation,  to  grope  in  the  mazes  of  heathen  darkness? 
But,  degraded  as  the  Bushmen  really  are,  they  can  be  kind, 
and  hospitable  too;  faithful  to  their  charge,  grateful  for  fa- 
vours, and  susceptible  of  kindness.  I  speak  from  what  I 
know,  having  seen  all  these  qualities  exemplified.  It  is  also 
habitual  with  them,  on  receiving  the  smallest  portion  of  food, 
to  divide  it  with  their  friends ;  and  generally  it  is  observed 
the  one  who  first  received  the  boon,  retained  the  least  for 
himself;  and  a  hungry  mother  will  not  unfrequently  give, 
what  she  may  receive,  to  her  emaciated  children,  without 
tasting  it  herself  In  order  to  get  the  people  to  congregate, 
Mr.  Kicherer  found  it  necessary  to  give  them  daily  a  little 
food,  and  especially  small  portions  of  tobacco,  with  which 
he  was  most  liberally  supplied  by  the  farmers.  "  Without 
that,"  he  says,  "  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  bring  these 
poor  people  to  any  means  of  instruction,  as  they  are  com- 
pelled continually  to  go  from  one  place  to  another  for  food." 
While,  however,  the  message  of  Divine  mercy  at  times 
made  an  impression  so  great,  that  the  missionaries  were  led 
to  suppose  that  they  had  surmounted  every  difficulty ;  they 
were  again  humbled  and  grieved  to  see,  as  they  expressed 
it,  the  natural  inconstancy  of  the  Bushmen  reverse  every 
promising  sign. 

The  Directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  most 
anxious  to  impart  to  this  degraded  portion  of  the  human  fa- 
mily, the  means  of  grace,  recommended  the  establishment 
of  a  station  for  that  object  at  Toornberg,  now  Colesberg, 
south  of  the  Great  River ;  and  Mr.  Erasmus  Smith  and  Mr. 
Corner  repaired  thither  in  1814,  when  about  500  Bushmen 
took  up  their  abode  with  them.  The  missionaries  were  thus 
cheered  by  a  people  waiting  to  receive  thern  ;  but  their  joy 
was  of  short  duration.  A  long  and  mortal  enmity  had  ex- 
isted between  the  Bushmen  and  the  farmers  ;  and  they  soon 
began  to  suspect  that  the  missionaries  were  employed  only 

strong  inspirations  and  respirations  of  breath,  produces  a  few  soft  notes 
in  the  vibrations  of  the  cat-gut. 


MR.    FAURE's   affecting    STATEMENT.  61 

as  instruments  to  betray  them  into  their  hands.  Groundless 
as  this  suspicion  was,  it  nevertheless  so  operated  for  a  while 
as  to  damp  the  zeal  of  the  missionaries.  They  very  natu- 
rally expected  that  it  would  require  a  long  and  laborious 
course  of  culture  and  tuition  before  such  pupils  could  be  ex- 
pected even  to  apprehend  the  doctrines  of  Christianity.  This, 
however,  was  not  the  case.  The  light  and  power  of  the 
Gospel  at  an  early  period  of  the  mission,  accompanied  the 
proclamation  of  its  glad  tidings,  and  a  number  of  these  bar- 
barous people,  when  they  heard  the  word  of  life,  believed. 
And  here  a  Christian  church  arose,  extensive  gardens  were 
laid  out,  and  these  cultivated  with  the  Bushmen's  own 
hands. 

Another  mission  was  commenced  among  that  people  at 
Hephzibah,  where  there  was  a  prospect  of  permanent  suc- 
cess. It  was  however  found  extremely  difficult,  from  the 
Bushmen  coming  into  unpleasant  contact  with  the  farmers 
in  their  vicinity,  and  the  missionaries  being  brought  into  col- 
lision on  their  account.  These  evils  to  which  their  locality 
exposed  them,  soon  proved  the  means  of  blasting  their  pleas- 
ing hopes  among  that  people.  An  order  was  received  from 
the  Cape  authorities,  requiring  the  missionaries  to  retire  with- 
in the  colony.  Thus  ceased  the  operations  of  the  Society 
among  the  poor  wild  Bushmen  at  these  stations ;  and  it  is 
impossible  to  read  the  following  extract  of  a  letter  to  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Philip,  from  the  Rev.  A.  Faure,  then  minister  of 
Graaff  Reinet,  without  deeply  lamenting  with  that  enlight- 
ened individual,  that  these  stations  should  have  been  broken 
up.  "  Some  of  the  Bushmen  whom  Mr.  Smith  baptized, 
had  acquired  very  rational  ideas  of  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion  ;  and  appeared  to  feel  its  constraining  in- 
fluence on  their  habitual  conduct.  They  were  zealous  in 
trying  to  convey  the  same  inestimable  blessing  to  their  un- 
happy countrymen,  who  live  without  God  and  without  hope 
in  the  world.  It  was  delightful  to  hear  the  children  sing  the 
praises  of  Jehovah,  and  to  witness  the  progress  they  had 
made  in  spelling  and  reading.  These  facts,  which  have 
come  under  my  own  observation,  prove  that  conversion  of 
this  race  of  immortal  beings  is  not  impossible." 

The  last  effort  of  the  Society  to  establish  a  mission  among 
that  people,  was  attempted  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Caledon 
River.  Captain  A.  Kok,  the  late  chief  of  Philippolis,  most 
munificently  presented  the  Bushmen  who  congregated  at 
that  place,  with  a  good  supply  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats. 
This  mission,  now  called  Bethulie,  was  afterwards  trans- 


52  REVIEW  OF   BUSHMEN   MISSIONS. 

ferred  by  Dr.  Philip  to  the  missionaries  of  the  Paris  Society  ; 
and  it  has  since  become  a  Bechuana  mission,  where  the 
word  of  God  has  had  free  course,  and  been  glorified.  The 
proximity  of  the  place  to  the  gradual  encroachments  of  those 
whom  the  Bushmen  dreaded,  influenced  them  to  leave  the 
spot,  so  that  now  few  remain,  nor  is  it  any  longer  a  Bushman 
station.* 

In  taking  a  brief  review  of  the  Bushmen  Missions,  we 
cannot  help  being  struck  with  the  depravity  and  ignorance 
of  the  people,  the  zeal  and  perseverance  of  the  missionaries, 
the  power  of  Gospel  truth,  and  the  dreadful  guilt  of  those 
who  have  been  directly  the  cause  of  frustrating  the  objects 
of  the  Missionary  Society,  which  is  the  only  one  that  has 
espoused  the  cause  of  that  afflicted  people.  Shall  not  the 
Lord  require  it  ?  for  the  blood  of  thousands  cries  from  the 
dust,  and  the  cry  has  entered  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of 
Sabaoth.  Can  we  wonder  that  the  Bushmen  missions,  under 
the  circumstances  in  which  they  have  been  placed,  should, 
upon  the  whole,  prove  a  failure,  though  not  without  important 
results  ?  We  must  continue  to  look  for  success  in  attracting 
the  scattered  fragments  to  the  Missionary  settlements,  and 
forming  out-stations  among  them,  a  method  which  has  al- 
ready received  the  Divine  blessing.  This  plan  has  been 
carried  on  at  our  Griqua  mission,  from  its  commencement  to 
the  present  day  ;  and  those  established  in  connexion  with  the 
Kat  River  are  promising.  This  mode  of  proceeding  with 
that  people  cannot  be  too  strongly  recommended  to  those 
who  are  labouring  among  their  more  powerful  neighbours. 
When  once  a  number  of  these  are  savingly  converted  to 
God,  and  feel  the  constraining  influence  of  the  love  of  Christ, 
they  will  become  valuable  auxiliaries  to  the  missionary,  in 
collecting  them  around  their  villages  and  cattle  out-posts, 
and  thus,  by  kind  endeavours,  bring  them  within  the  benign 
and  transforming  influences  of  the  Gospel  of  love. 

'  Kindness  is  the  key  to  the  human  heart'  I  know  an  in- 
dividual who  was  struck  with  the  difficulties  the  Bushwo- 
men  had  in  rearing  their  infants  after  the  term  of  suckling, 
from  the  entire  absence  of  any  thing  in  the  shape  of  milk  or 
grain.  Dried  meat,  or  Ixia  bulbs,  is  hard  fare  for  a  babe. 
He  tried  to  persuade  them  to  purchase  goats,  with  ostrich 
feathers,  or  skins  of  game  procured  in  the  chase.  At  this 
proposal  they  laughed  inordinately,  asking  him  if  ever  their 

*  For  a  more  particular  account  of  the  Toornberg  and  Hephzibah  mis- 
Bions,  see  Dr.  Philip's  Researches  in  South  Africa,  vol.  ii.  p.  23. 


STRATAGEM   IN    HUNTING.  63 

forefathers  kept  cattle  ;  intimating,  that  they  were  not  in- 
tended to  keep^  but  to  eat,  as  their  progenitors  had  always 
done.  He  recommended  the  plan  to  all  who  happened  to 
come  in  his  way,  but  with  no  better  success.  It  at  last  oc- 
curred to  his  mind  to  present  some  of  the  principal  individu- 
als among  them  with  a  few  goats  a-piece.  This  he  did, 
promising  that,  if  they  took  good  care  of  them  for  a  given 
time,  he  would  add  to  their  number,  and  make  them  their 
own.  This  proposal,  though  to  them  scarcely  to  be  believed, 
went  to  their  hearts ;  and  the  very  looks  of  the  men,  and 
the  grateful  gesticulations  of  the  women,  were  felt  by  the 
missionary  as  a  rich  reward.  His  anticipations  were  fully 
realized.  They  allowed  their  httle  flocks  to  increase,  and 
even  took  some  trouble  to  make  additions  by  barter  ;  and  it 
was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  several  of  these  resorting  to 
the  house  of  prayer  on  sabbath-days,  though  their  homes 
were  many  miles  distant. 

One  of  the  accompanying  sketches  represents  a  Bushman 
and  a  woman.  The  man  has  his  bows,  quiver,  and  poisoned 
arrows  ;  and  both  he  and  the  female  are  fair  specimens  of 
the  general  appearance  of  that  people.  The  other  sketch 
exhibits  a  stratagem,  by  which  the  Bushman  approaches  to 
game,  in  the  garb  of  the  ostrich.  The  method  is  ingenious, 
though  extremely  simple.  A  kind  of  flat  double  cushion  is 
stuffed  with  straw,  and  formed  something  like  a  saddle. 
All,  except  the  under  part  of  this,  is  covered  over  with 
feathers,  attached  to  small  pegs,  and  made  so  as  to  resemble 
the  bird.  The  neck  and  head  of  an  ostrich  are  stuffed,  and 
a  small  rod  introduced.  The  Bushman  intending  to  attack 
game,  whitens  his  legs  with  any  substance  he  can  procure. 
He  places  the  feathered  saddle  on  his  shoulders,  takes  the 
bottom  part  of  the  neck  in  his  right  hand,  and  his  bow  and 
poisoned  arrows  in  his  left.  Such  as  the  writer  has  seen 
were  the  most  perfect  mimics  of  the  ostrich,  and  at  a  few 
hundred  yards  distant  it  is  not  possible  for  the  human  eye  to 
detect  the  fraud.  This  human  bird  appears  to  pick  away  at 
the  verdure,  turning  the  head  as  if  keeping  a  sharp  look-out, 
shakes  his  feathers,  now  walks,  and  then  trots,  till  he  gets 
within  bow-shot ;  and  when  the  flock  runs  from  one  receiving 
an  arrow,  he  runs  too.  The  male  ostriches  will  on  some 
occasions  give  chase  to  the  strange  bird,  when  he  tries  to 
elude  them,  in  a  way  to  prevent  their  catching  his  scent ; 
for  when  once  they  do,  the  spell  is  broken.  Should  one  hap- 
pen to  get  too  near  in  pursuit,  he  has  only  to  run  to  wind- 
ward, or  throw  off*  his  saddle,  to  avoid  a  stroke  from  a  wing, 
which  would  lay  him  prostrate.  5* 


CHAPTER    V. 

Great  Namaqua-land,  as  it  is  usually  called,  lies  north  of 
the  Orange  River,  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  between 
the  23°  and  28^^  of  south  latitude  ;  bounded  on  the  north  by 
the  Damaras,  and  on  the  east  by  an  extensive  sandy  desert, 
called  by  Mr.  Campbell  the  Southern  Zara,  or  Zahara. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1806,  the  Orange,  or  Gariep 
River,  was  crossed  by  missionaries  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  for  the  purpose  of  planting  the  Gospel  among  the 
inhabitants  of  that  wild  and  desolate  region.  Before  enter- 
ing into  a  detail  of  painful  and  pleasing  ev^ents,  which  mark- 
ed the  whole  course  of  the  bold,  self-denying,  and  dangerous 
enterprise  of  the  two  Albrechts  and  their  associates,  it  will  be 
proper  briefly  to  sketch  the  character  of  the  country,  and  the 
circumstances  connected  with  the  early  efforts  of  these  men 
of  God,  to  sow  the  seeds  of  the  everlasting  Gospel  in  a  most 
ungenial  soil. 

As  an  inhabited  country,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive 
of  one  more  destitute  and  miserable  ;  and  it  is  impossible  to 
traverse  its  extensive  plains,  its  rugged,  undulating  surface, 
and  to  descend  to  the  beds  of  its  waterless  rivers,  without 
viewing  it  as  emphatically  "  a  land  of  droughts,"  bearing  the 
heavy  curse  of 

'*  Man's  first  disobedience,  and  the  fruit 
Of  that  forbidden  tree,  whose  mortal  taste 
Brought  death  into  the  world,  and  all  our  woe." 

Meeting  with  an  individual,  on  my  journey  thither,  who 
had  spent  years  in  that  country,  I  asked  what  was  its  charac- 
ter and  appearance?  "Sir,"  he  replied,  "you  will  find 
plenty  of  sand  and  stones,  a  thinly  scattered  population, 
always  suffering  from  want  of  water,  on  plains  and  hills 
roasted  like  a  burnt  loaf,  under  the  scorching  rays  of  a 
cloudless  sun."  Of  the  truth  of  this  description  I  soon  had 
ample  demonstration.  It  is  intersected  by  the  Fish  and 
'Oup  Rivers,  with  their  numberless  tributary  streams,  if  such 
their  dry  and  often  glowing  beds  may  be  termed.  Some- 
times, for  years  together,  they  are  not  known  to  run ;  when, 
after  the  stagnant  pools  are  dried  up,  the  natives  congregate 
to  their  beds,  and  dig  holes,  or  wells,  in  some  instances  to 


TOPOGRAPHY    OF    NAMAQUA-LAND.  55 

the  depth  of  twenty  feet,  from  which  they  draw  water, 
generally  of  a  very  inferior  quality.  They  place  branches 
of  trees  in  the  excavation,  and,  with  great  labour,  under  a 
hot  sun,  hand  up  the  water  in  a  wooden  vessel,  and  pour  it 
into  an  artificial  trough  ;  to  which  the  panting,  lowing  herds 
approach,  partially  to  satiate  their  thirst.  Thunder  storms 
are  eagerly  anticipated,  for  by  these  only  rain  falls ;  and 
frequently  these  storms  will  pass  over  with  tremendous  vio- 
lence, striking  the  inhabitants  with  awe,  while  not  a  single 
drop  of  rain  descends  to  cool  and  fructify  the  parched  waste. 

When  the  heavens  do  let  down  their  watery  treasures,  it 
is  generally  in  a  partial  strip  of  country,  which  the  electric 
cloud  has  traversed  ;  so  that  the  traveller  will  frequently 
pass,  almost  instantaneously,  from  ground  on  which  there  is 
not  a  blade  of  grass,  into  tracts  of  luxuriant  green,  sprung 
up  after  a  passing  storm.  Fountains  are  indeed  few  and 
far  between,  the  best  very  inconsiderable,  frequently  very 
salt,  and  some  of  them  hot  springs ;  while  the  soil  contigu- 
ous is  generally  so  impregnated  with  saltpetre,  as  to  crackle 
under  the  feet,  like  hoar-frost,  and  it  is  with  great  difficulty 
that  any  kind  of  vegetable  can  be  made  to  grow.  Much  of 
the  country  is  hard  and  stony,  interspersed  with  plains  of 
deep  sand.  There  is  much  granite  ;  and  quartz  is  so  abun- 
dantly scattered,  reflecting  such  a  glare  of  light  from  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  that  the  traveller,  if  exposed  at  noon-day, 
can  scarcely  allow  his  eyelids  to  be  sufficiently  open  to 
enable  him  to  keep  the  course  he  wishes  to  pursue. 

The  inhabitants  are  a  tribe  or  tribes  of  Hottentots,  dis- 
tinguished by  all  the  singular  characteristics  of  that  nation, 
which  includes  Hottentots,  Corannas,  Namaquas,  and  Bush- 
men. Their  peculiar  clicking  language  is  so  similar,  that  it 
is  with  little  difficulty  they  converse  with  the  two  former. 
In  their  native  state  the  aborigines,  though  deeply  sunk  in 
ignorance,  and  disgusting  in  their  manners  and  mien,  were 
neither  very  warlike  nor  bloody  in  their  dispositions.  The 
enervating  influence  of  climate,  and  scanty  sustenance,  seem 
to  have  deprived  them  of  that  bold  martial  spirit  which  dis- 
tinguishes the  tribes  v/ho  live  in  other  parts  of  the  interior, 
which,  in  comparison  with  Namaqua-land,  may  be  said  to 
"  flow  with  milk  and  honey."  With  the  exception  of  the 
solitary  traveller,  whose  objects  were  entirely  of  a  scientific 
character,  those  who  ventured  into  the  interior  carried  on  a 
system  of  cupidity,  and  perpetrated  deeds,  calculated  to  make 
the  worst  impression  upon  the  minds  of  the  natives,  and  in- 
fluence them  to  view  white  men,  and  others  descended  from 


56  PRIVATIONS   OF   THE   FIRST   MISSIONARIES. 

them,  as  an  "  angry"  race  of  human  beings,  only  fit  to  be 
classed  with  the  lions,  which  roar  for  their  prey  in  their  na- 
tive wilds.  Intercourse  with  such  visitors  in  the  southern 
districts,  and  disgraceful  acts  of  deceit  and  oppression,  com- 
mitted by  sailors  from  ships  which  visited  Angra  Piquena, 
and  other  places  on  the  western  coast,  had,  as  may  easily  be 
conceived,  the  most  baneful  influence  on  the  native  tribes, 
and  nurtured  in  their  heathen  minds  (naturally  suspicious)  a 
savage  disgust  for  all  intercourse  with  white  men,  alas ! 
professedly  Christian.  Having  little  to  talk  about,  when 
they  met,  these  subjects  became  their  general  theme.  Such 
was  the  long,  and  deep-rooted  impression  made  on  their 
minds,  as  a  people,  that  on  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Fish 
River,  far  east  of  Mr.  Schmelen's  station  at  Bethany,  when 
I  asked  a  native  why  he  had  never  visited  the  missionary 
station ;  his  reply  was,  "  I  have  been  taught  from  my  infancy 
to  look  upon  Hat  men  (hat- wearers)  as  the  robbers  and  mur- 
derers of  the  Namaquas.  Our  friends  and  parents  have  been 
robbed  of  their  cattle,  and  shot  by  the  hat-wearers."  Many 
runaways,  and  characters  reckless  of  law,  abandoning  the 
service  of  the  farmers  in  the  colony,  fled  fco  Great  Namaqua- 
land,  and  their  influence  went  far  in  stirring  up  the  native 
mind  against  all  compromise  on  the  part  of  their  civilized 
neighbours.  It  was  to  such  a  people,  and  to  such  a  coun- 
try, that  the  missionaries  directed  their  course,  to  lead  a  life 
of  the  greatest  self-denial  and  privation. 

From  a  variety  of  untoward  circumstances,  their  expe- 
rience on  the  journey  from  Cape  Town  to  the  place  of  their 
destination,  seemed  a  precursor,  and  preparation  for  future 
trials,  and  to  them  the  journey  must  have  formed  a  striking 
contrast  to  European  travelhng,  and  the  endeared  home  of 
the  friends  they  had  left  never  again  to  behold  in  the  flesh. 
In  their  journal  they  detail  numerous  difficulties  with  which 
they  had  to  contend  in  their  progress.  They  had  a  weak 
and  imperfect  supply  of  oxen  to  draw  their  wagons,  some 
fainting,  and  others  incapable  of  being  yoked.  Their 
wagons  stuck  fast  in  the  sand,  then  in  the  river.  They 
were  compelled  to  leave  oxen  behind,  and  they  suffered 
excessively  from  thirst,  as  the  water  was  scarce  and  nau- 
seous. They  were  unable  to  obtain,  from  their  poverty  and 
the  locality,  a  sufficiency  of  food  to  supply  the  calls  of 
hunger.  Their  spirits  drooped,  and  though  their  courage 
did  not  fail,  the  following  letter  shows  that  they  were  alive 
to  the  nature  of  their  situation. 


THEIR   FEELINGS.  57 

"  We  had  no  prospect  of  being  soon  among  the  people,  and  could  easily 
calculate  that  we  should  not  have  sufficient  to  last  till  we  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  purchasing  for  slaughter.  The  Lord  brings  us  now  into  paths, 
where  we  must  by  experience  learn  to  pray,  '  Give  us  this  day  our  daily 
bread.'  We  have  not  only  to  take  care  of  our  own  provisions  in  the 
parched  deserts,  but  also  of  those  who  conduct  the  wagons.  Besides,  the 
36  rix-dollars  (about  'Si.)  we  had  remaining  to  carry  us  from  the  Rode- 
sand,  were  almost  expended,  and  we  were  still  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  Kamies  Berg.  To  say  nothing  of  the  country  of  the  Great 
Namaquas,  where  we  hope  to  find  the  place  of  our  destination,  it  is  very 
grievous  for  me  and  my  brethren,  that  we  are  sent  to  make  such  a  long 
journey,  through  the  dreary  parts  of  Africa,  with  so  little  money  and  pro- 
visions :  we  being  altogether  eleven  in  number,  who  cannot  Hve  upon  the 
air.  We  acknowledge  that  through  love  we  gave  ourselves  up  to  that 
service  as  well  as  other  brethren ;  and  we  are  also  convinced  that  our 
worthy  brethren,  the  Directors,  would  not  suffer  us  first  to  stand  in  need, 
and  then  be  willing  to  help  us  when  there  should  be  no  opportunity,  or 
when  it  might  be  too  late  to  deliver  us  from  trouble  and  danger.  We 
were  never  in  our  lives  so  perplexed,  to  think  what  we  should  eat  or 
drink,  as  we  have  reason  to  do  at  present ;  not  only  to  our  grief,  but  that 
also  of  our  people  in  this  dry  sandy  desert,  where  we  are  deprived  of  hu- 
man assistance,  but  must  rejoice  when  able  to  get  just  a  drink  of  water, 
which  is  mostly  brack  or  saltish.  But  all  suffering  we  meet  with  in  the 
journey  or  in  the  service  of  our  Lord,  we  shall  patiently  bear  for  the  sake 
of  our  Lord  Jesus.  Yet  when  we  and  our  people  suffer  by  famine,  and 
we  think  the  same  might  have  been  prevented— and  who  knows  how 
long  we  must  remain  in  this  perilous  situation  1 — then  it  is  very  sorrowful 
for  brethren,  who  have  abandoned  their  livelihood,  country,  and  friends, 
and  have  given  themselves  up  to  the  service  of  our  great  Sender,  the  Lord 
Jesus,  thus  to  endure.  But  we  trust  God  will  protect  us,  and  will  not  let 
us  come  to  shame." 

These  were  only  some  of  their  trials,  ^yhile  yet  within  the 
boundary  of  the  colony,  and  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
abodes  of  civilized  men  ;  as  they  drew  near  the  sphere  of 
their  intended  labours,  their  spirits  revived,  though  their 
troubles  and  reasonable  fears  did  not  diminish ;  for,  having 
passed  the  boundary  of  the  colony,  they  add, — "  In  this 
place,  which  is  called  Bushman-country,  there  is  as  little 
water  as  ther§  is  grass  to  be  found.  One  must  hunger  and 
thirst,  and  be  in  continual  danger  of  being  devoured  by  wild 
beasts,  or  murdered." 

It  is  pleasing  to  see  that,  amidst  these  privations,  their 
devotedness  to  the  immortal  interests  of  the  heathen  contin- 
ued unwavering,  even  though  they  were  fully  satisfied  that 
much  suffering  and  distress  of  mind  might  have  been 
prevented  by  some  whose  duty  it  was  to  direct  and  assist. 

"  Dear  brethren,"  they  write,  addressing  the  Directors,*  "  we  have 
gone  through  many  difficulties,  of  which  nobody  can  form  an  idea,  who 

♦  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  that  at  that  time  our  missions  were  prin- 
cipally under  the  management  of  the  Directors  of  the  South  African  Mis- 
sionary Society — Dr.  Vanderkemp  and  Mr.  Kicherer. 


58  FIRST   INTERVIEW   WITH   AFRICANER. 

never  has  been  in  a  dry  and  barren  desert.  We  were  not  only  separated 
from  our  friends,  but  could  get  no  assistance  from  any  human  being.  If 
we  had  not  been  able  to  beheve  that  it  was  the  will  of  the  Lord  for  us  to 
go  to  the  great  Namaquas,  we  could  not  have  gone  through  such  great 
fatigue  and  labour.  Nevertheless,  it  was  painful  to  us  to  observe  that 
even  those  who  are  said  to  have  assisted  us,  have  made  our  journey  so 
difficult  by  not  providing  properly  for  us." 

While  in  some  of  their  greatest  perplexities,  Cornelius 
Kok,  of  Kamiesberg:,  with  his  son  Adam,  (late  chief  of 
Philippolis,)  appeared  to  them  like  an  angel  of  mercy, 
assisting,  comforting,  and  directing  them  in  their  arduous 
enterprise.  These  trying  times  were  rendered  tenfold  more 
so  from  their  "want  of  pecuniary  resources,  among  a  people 
suspicious  of  their  real  motives,  themselves  in  poverty. 
Though  permitted  by  an  austere  and  mistaken  government, 
as  a  favour,  to  exile  themselves  beyond  the  boundaries  of 
the  colony,  to  instruct  the  aborigines  in  the  Christian 
religion,  they  were  forbidden  to  teach  them  to  write,  without 
speoial  orders  from  the  Cape  authorities. 

On  reaching  the  junction  of  the  Hartebeast  with  the 
Orange  River,  they  waited  some  time,  till  Christian  Al- 
brecht,  having  pioneered  to  Great  Namaqualand,  returned 
with  encouraging  prospects,  and  the  whole  party  passed  on 
to  that  country.  Characteristic  of  the  simplicity  of  their 
proceedings,  they  named  the  .spot  of  their  first  temporary 
residence,  Stille  Hoop,  (Silent  Hope,)  and  the  next  Blyde 
Uitkomst,  (Happy  Deliverance.)  Their  Silent  Hope,  how- 
ever, in  that  country,  was  long  deferred  ;  and,  indeed,  could 
scarcely  be  said  to  be  fully  realized,  till  their  Happy  Deliv- 
erance from  a  succes.sion  of  disappointments,  mortifications, 
and  hardships,  which  brought  the  Albrechts,  and  Mrs.  C.  A., 
formerly  Miss  Burgman,  to  a  premature  grave.  Soon  after 
commencing  their  labours,  their  prospects  wex^  alternately 
bright  and  gloomy.  Their  proximity  to  Africaner,  the 
notable  robber,  added  not  a  little  to  their  anxieties.  Ap- 
pearing before  them  on  one  occa.sion,  he  said,  "  As  you  are 
sent  by  the  English,  I  welcome  you  to  the  country;  for 
though  I  hate  the  Dutch,  my  former  oppressors,  I  love  the 
English ;  for  I  have  always  heard  that  they  are  the  friends 
of  the  poor  black  man."  So  early  and  so  fully  was  this 
man,  the  terror  of  the  country,  impressed  with  the  purity 
and  sincerity  of  the  missionary  chai*icter,  that,  hearing  that 
it  was  the  intention  of  the  Albrechts  to  remove  to  a  more 
eligible  situation,  he  came  to  the  missionaries,  (after  having 
sent  repeated  messages,)  entreating  them  not  to  leave  that 


HISTORY   OF   AFRICANER.  59 

part  of  the  country,  and  testifying  the  pleasure  he  felt  at 
seeing  the  progress  his  children  had  made  under  their 
instruction,  promising  to  send  the  rest,  which  he  did  even- 
tually, taking  up  his  abode  with  them,  and  causing  his 
people  to  do  the  same. 

Before  proceeding  with  the  painful  record  of  events  which 
followed  in  rapid  succession,  it  may  be  proper  here  to  glance 
briefly  at  Afiicaner's  history  and  character.  In  doing  this, 
it  will  be  well  to  fix  the  attention  on  Jager,  the  eldest  son 
of  the  old  man,  who,  from  his  shrewdness  and  prowess, 
obtained  the  reins  of  the  government  of  his  tribe  at  an  early 
age.*  He  and  his  father  once  roamed  on  their  native  hills 
and  dales,  within  100  miles  of  Cape  Town;  pastured  their 
own  flocks,  killed  their  own  game,  drank  of  their  own 
streams,  and  mingled  the  music  of  their  heathen  songs  with 
the  winds  which  burst  over  the  Witsemberg  and  Winterhoek 
mountains,  once  the  strongholds  of  his  clan.  As  the  Dutch 
settlers  increased,  and  found  it  necessary  to  make  room  for 
themselves,  by  adopting  as  their  own  the  lands  which  lay 
beyond  them,  the  Hottentots,  the  aborigines,  perfectly 
incapable  of  maintaining  their  ground  against  these  foreign 
intruders,  were  compelled  to  give  place  by  removing  to  a 
distance,  or  yielding  themselves  in  passive  obedience  to  the 
farmers.  From  time  to  time  he  found  himself  and  his 
people  becoming  more  remote  from  the  land  of  their  fore- 
fathers, till  he    became    united    and    subject   to    a   farmer 

named  P .     Here  he  and  his  diminished  clan  lived 

for  a  number  of  years.  In  Africaner  P found  a  faith- 
ful, and  intrepid  shepherd  ;  while  his  valour  in  defending 
and  increasing  the  herds  and  flocks  of  his  master  enhanced 
his  value,  at  the  same  time  it  rapidly  matured  the  latent 
principle  which  afterwards  recoiled  on  that  devoted  family, 
and  carried  devastation  to  whatever  quarter  he  directed  his 

steps.     Had    P •  treated   his   subjects  with   common 

humanity,  not  to  say  with  gratitude,  he  might  have  died 
honourably,  and  prevented  the  catastrophe  which  befell  the 
family,  and  the  train  of  robbery,  crime,  and  bloodshed  which 
quickly  followed  that  melancholy  event.  It  can  serve  no 
good  purpose  here  to  detail  the  many  provocations  and 
oppressions  which  at  length  roused  the  aj)parently  dormant 
energies  of  the  often  dejected  chieftain,  who  saw  his  people 

*  The  father  of  the  large  family  of  Africaners  or  Jagers,  had  resigned 
the  hereditary  right  of  chieftainship  to  his  eldest  son  Jager,  afterwards 
Christian  Africaner  j  the  old  man,  who  lived  to  a  great  age,  being  super- 
annuated. 


60  DEADLY   RE\'ENGE. 

dwindling  to  a  mere  handful ;  their  Avives  and  daughters 
abused,  their  infants  murdered,  "while  he  himself  had  to 
subsist  on  a  coarse  and  scanty  pittance,  which  in  the  days 
of  liis  independency  he  would  have  considered  as  the  crumbs 
of  a  table  fit  only  for  the  poorest  of  the  poor.  Demonstra- 
tions too  tangible  to  admit  of  a  doubt,  convinced  him  and 
his  people,  that  in  addition  to  having  their  tenderest  feelings 
trodden  under  foot,  evd  was  intended  against  the  whole 
party.  They  had  been  trained  to  the  use  of  fire-arms;  to 
act  not  only  on  the  defensive,  but  ofiensive  also  ;  and  Afri- 
caner, who  had  been  signally  expert  in  re-capturing  stolen 
cattle  from  the  Bushmen  pirates,  now  refused  to  comply 
with  the  command  of  the  master,  who  was  a  kind  of  justice 
of  peace.  Order  after  order  was  sent  down  to  the  huts  of 
Africaner  and  his  people.  They  positively  refused.  They 
had  on  the  previous  night  received  authentic  information 
that  it  was  a  deep-laid  scheme  to  get  them  to  go  to  another 
farm,  where  some  of  the  party  were  to  be  seized.  Fired 
with  indignation  at  the  accumulated  woes  through  which 
they  had  passed,  a  tempest  was  brooding  in  their  bosoms. 
They  had  before  signified  their  -v^ish,  with  the  farmer's 
permission,  to  have  some  reward  for  their  often  galling 
servitude,  and  to  be  allowed  peaceably  to  remove  to  some 
of  the  sequestered  districts  beyond,  where  they  might  live 
in  peace.  This  desire  had  been  sternly  refused,  and  followed 
by  severity  still  more  grievous.  It  was  even-tide,  and  the 
farmer,  exasperated  to  find  his  commands  disregfarded, 
ordered  them  to  appear  at  the  door  of  his  house.  This  was 
to  them  an  awful  moment ;  and  though  accustomed  to 
scenes  of  barbarity,  their  hearts  beat  hard.  It  had  not  yet 
entered  their  minds  to  do  violence  to  the  farmer.  Jager, 
with  his  brothers  and  some  attendants,  moved  slowly  up 
towards  the  door  of  the  house.  Titus,  the  next  brother  to 
the  chief,  dreading  that  the  farmer  in  his  wrath  might  have 
recourse  to  desperate  measures,  took  his  gun  with  him, 
wliich  he  easily  concealed  behind  him,  being  night.  When 
they  reached  the  front  of  the  house,  and  Jager,  the  chief, 
had  gone  up  the  few  steps  leading  to  the  door,  to  state  their 
complaints,  the  farmer  rushed  furiously  on  the  chieftain,  and 
with  one  blow  precipitated  liim  to  the  bottom  of  the  steps. 
At  this  moment  Titus  drew  from  behind  him  his  gun,  fired 

on  P ,  who  staggered  backward,  and  fell.     They  then 

entered  the  house,  the  wife  having  witnessed  the  murder  of 
her  husband,  shrieked,  and  implored  mercy.  They  told  her 
on  no  account  to  be  alarmed,  for  they  had  nothing  against 


WAR   WITH   THE   BERENDS.  61 

her.  They  asked  for  the  guns  and  ammunition  which  were 
in  the  house,  which  she  promptly  delivered  to  them.  They 
then  straightly  charged  her  not  to  leave  the  house  during 
the  night,  as  they  could  not  ensure  her  safety  from  others  of 
the  servants,  who,  if  she  and  her  family  attempted  to  flee, 
might  kill  them. 

This  admonition,  however,  was  disregarded.  Overcome 
with  terror,  two  children  escaped  by  a  back  door.  These 
were  slain  by  two  Bushmen,  who  had  long  been  looking  out 
for  an  opportunity  of  revenging  injuries  they  had  suffered. 
Mrs.  P ■  escaped  in  safety  to  the  nearest  farm.  Afri- 
caner, with  as  little  loss  of  time  as  possible,  rallied  the 
remnant  of  his  tribe,  and,  with  what  they  could  take  with 
them,  directed  their  course  to  the  Orange  River,  and  were 
soon  beyond  the  reach  of  pursuers,  Avho,  in  a  thinly  scattered 
population,  required  time  to  collect.  He  fixed  his  abode  on 
the  banks  of  the  Orange  River ;  and  afterwards,  a  chief 
ceding  to  him  his  dominion  in  Great  Namaqua-land,  it 
henceforth  became  his  by  right,  as  well  as  by  conquest 

Attempts  were  made  on  the  part  of  the  colonial  govern- 
ment and  the  farmers,  to  punish  this  daring  outrage  on  the 

P family;    but   though   rewards  were   offered,   and 

commandoes  went  out  for  that  purpose,  Africaner  dared 
them  to  approach  his  territories.  Some  of  the  farmers  had 
recourse  to  another  stratagem  to  rid  the  frontiers  of  such  a 
terror ;  they  bribed  some  of  the  Bastards,  who  were  in  the 
habit  of  visiting  the  colony,  from  the  upper  regions  of  the 
Orange  River.  This  gave  rise  to  a  long  series  of  severe, 
and  sometimes  bloody  conflicts  between  the  Africaners,  and 
the  chief  Berend  and  his  associates.  Berend  being  impel- 
led by  a  twofold  reward,  and  Africaner  by  a  desire  to  wreak 
his  vengeance"  on  the  farmers,  who  were  once  his  friends, 
the  instigators  of  the  deeply  laid  scheme.  Though  these 
two  chiefs  dreadfully  harassed  each  other,  neither  conquered  ; 
but  continued  to  breathe  against  each  other  the  direst  hatred, 
till,  by  the  gospel  of  peace,  they  were  brought  to  "beat  their 
swords  into  ploughshares,  and  their  spears  into  pruning- 
hooks." 

As  soon  as  Africaner  had  discovered  the  origin  of  the  plot, 
which  had  well  nigh  overthrown  his  power,  he  visited  the 
boundaries  of  the  colony.  A  farmer  named  Engelbrecht, 
and  a  Bastard  Hottentot,  fell  the  victims  to  his  fur}'^,  and 
their  cattle  and  other  property  were  carried  off,  to  atone  for 
the  injuries  inflicted  by  the  machinations  of  the  farmers. 
Africaner  now  became  a  terror,  not  only  to  the  colony  on 

6 


62  AFRICANER   WOUNDED. 

the  south,  but  also  to  the  tribes  on  the  north.  The  original 
natives  of  the  country  justly  viewed  him  as  a  dangerous 
neighbour,  even  though  he  had  obtained,  by  lawful  means, 
a  portion  in  their  country.  They  considered  him  as  the 
common  enemy.  This  led  to  pilfering  and  provocations  on 
their  part ;  conduct  which  he  was  sure  to  pay  back,  in  their 
own  way,  with  large  interest.  The  tribes  fled  at  his  ap- 
proach. His  name  carried  dismay  even  to  the  solitary 
wastes.  At  a  subsequent  period,  as  I  was  standing  with  a 
Namaqua  chief,  looking  at  Africaner,  in  a  supplicating  atti- 
tude, entreating  parties  ripe  for  a  battle,  to  live  at  peace 
with  each  other :  "  Look,"  said  the  wondering  chief,  point- 
ing to  Africaner,  "there  is  the  man,  once  the  lion,  at  whose 
roar  even  the  inhabitants  of  distant  hamlets  fled  from  their 
homes!  Yes,  and  I,"  (patting  his  chest  with  his  hand,) 
"  have,  for  fear  of  his  approach,  fled  with  my  people,  our 
wives  and  our  babes,  to  the  mountain  glen,  or  to  the  wilder- 
ness, and  spent  nights  among  beasts  of  prey,  rather  than 
gaze  on  the  eyes  of  this  lion,  or  hear  his  roar." 

After  the  general  aspect  of  affairs  began  to  settle  in  that 
part  of  the  country  where  Africaner's  headquarters  were, 
other  distant  and  interior  parts  of  the  country  became  a  the- 
atre, in  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  colony  were  pursuing  a 
bloody  game,  in  shooting  the  aborigines,  and  carrying  off 
their  cattle.  The  landrost  of  one  of  the  colonial  districts 
sent  a  message  to  Africaner,  requesting  him  to  try  and  put  a 
stop  to  these  proceedings,  and  especially  those  of  a  farmer, 
who,  with  his  Bastard  attendant.s,  had  sconced  themselves 
in  a  stronghold  in  the  country.  Africaner  promptly  obeyed 
the  call,  and  as  he  did  not  intend  to  fight  them,  he  went 
with  some  of  his  chief  men  on  oxen,  to  recommend  them 
peaceably  to  retire  from  the  country  in  which  they  were  such 
a  scourge.  On  approaching  the  temporary  dwellings  of 
these  free-booters,  and  within  gun-shot,  the  farmer  levelled 
his  long  roer  at  the  small  party,  and  several  slugs  entering 
Africaner's  shoulder,  instantly  brought  him  to  the  ground. 
His  companions  immediately  took  up  their  arms,  and  the 
farmer,  knowing  that  their  shots  were  deadly,  kept  out  of 
the  way,  allowing  the  wounded  chief  and  his  attendants  to 
retire,  which  they  did,  and  returned  home  brooding  revenge. 

As  soon  as  the  slugs  were  extracted,  and  the  wound  par- 
tially healed,  though  the  arm  was  lamed  for  life,  Africaner, 
who  was  not  a  man  to  be  frightened  from  his  purpose,  re- 
sumed his  campaign  ;  and  the  result  was,  that  this  maraud- 
er, under  a  Christian  name,  was  driven  from  his  stronghold, 


MODE   OF   WARFARE.  63 

and  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  the  colony  whence  he  had 
come.     The  success  which,  in  almost  every  instance,  follow- 
ed the  arms  of  such  a  small  and  inconsiderable  body  of  ban- 
ditti as  that  of  Africaner,  may  be  ascribed  to  his  mode  of 
warfare.     He  endeavoured  always  to  attack  his  enemy  on 
the  plain  ;    or,  if  entrenched,  or  among  bushes,  the  usual 
mode  of  fighting  in  the  country,  he  instantly  drove  them  from 
their  sheltering-places ;   where,  if  both  parties  were  of  the 
same  mind,  they  would  continue,  from  day  to  day,  occasion- 
ally discharging  their  missiles,  or  firing  a  shot.     By  Africa- 
ner's mode  of  warfare  the  conflict  was  soon  decided.      His 
reasons  were  these :  he  did  not  like  suspense  when  life  was 
at  stake :  he  preferred  to  conquer  a  people  before  they  had 
time  to  be  alarmed,  which  saved  them  much  agony  of  mind, 
and  spared  the  unnecessary  effusion  of  blood.      Africaner 
was  a  man  of  great  prowess,  and  possessed  a  mind  capable 
of  .studying  the  tactics  of  savage  warfare.     His  brother  Titus 
was,  perhaps,  still  more  fierce  and  fearless ;   and,  though  a 
little  man,  he  was  an  extraordinary  runner,  and  able  to  bear 
unparalleled  fatigue.     He  has  been  known,  single-handed, 
to  overtake  a  party  of  twenty  possessing  fire-arms,  and  only 
retired  when  his  musket  was  shot  to  pieces  in  his  hand. 
On  one   occa.sion  Berend's  party,  who  were  far  superior  in 
numbers,  headed  by  Nicholas  Berend,  unexpectedly  carried 
off  every  ox  and  cow   belonging  to  Africaner  ;  only  a  few 
calves  being  left  in  the  stall.     After  a  desperate  though  very 
unequal  contest  for  a  whole   day,  having  repeatedly  taken 
and  lost  their  cattle,  they  returned  home,  slaughtered  the 
calves  which  were  left  them,  and  rested  a  couple  of  days  in 
order  to  dry  the  flesh  in  the  sun,  ready  for  the  intended  cam- 
paign.    For  several  days  they  pursued  their  course  along 
the   northern  banks   of  the    Orange   River,  and  having,  by 
spies,  found  out  the  rendezvous  of  the  enemy  on  the  southern 
side  of  the  river,  they  passed  beyond  them,  in  order  to  attack 
them  from  a  quarter  on  which  they  fancied  they  were  safe. 
They  swam  over  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  with  their  ammu- 
nition and  clothes  tied  on  their  heads,  and  their  guns  on  their 
shoulders.      The   little   force  thus  prepared,  not  unlike  that 
of  Bruce  at   Bannockburn,   seized  their  opportunity,   and, 
when  all  the   enemy  were   slumbering  in  perfect  security, 
aroused  them  by  a  volley  of  stones  falling  on  their  fragile 
huts.     The   inmates  rushed  out,  and  were   received  by  a 
shower  of  arrows  ;  and  before  they  could  fairly  recover  their 
senses,  and  seize  their  guns,  the  discharge  of  musketry  con- 
vinced them  that  they  were  besieged  by  a  host  encamped 


64  NICHOLAS   BEREND. 

in  the  most  favourable  position :  they  consequently  fled  in 
the  greatest  consternation,  leaving  the  captured  cattle,  as 
well  as  their  own,  in  the  hands  of  the  Africaners. 

Nicholas  Berend,  to  whom  reference  has  been  made,  was 
brother  to  the  chief  Berend  Berend,  (afterwards  of  the  Gri- 
qua  mission,  and  now  of  the  Wesley  an  mission  among  the 
Basuto,)  and  a  very  superior  man  both  in  appearance  and 
intellect.  I  have  frequently  travelled  with  him,  and  many 
a  dreary  mile  have  we  walked  over  the  wilderness  together. 
Having  an  excellent  memory,  and  good  descriptive  powers, 
he  has  often  beguiled  the  dreariness  of  the  road,  by  rehears- 
ing deeds  of  valour  in  days  of  heathenism,  in  which  this 
struggle  with  Africaner  bore  a  prominent  part,  and  on  which 
he  could  not  reflect  without  a  sigh  of  sorrow. 

Among  the  remarkable  interpositions  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence in  saving  his  life  from  destruction,  he  more  than  once 
repeated  the  following,  with  much  emphasis.  It  happened 
when  he  was  engaged  in  a  desperate  conflict  with  Titus 
Africaner,  from  whose  Hps  I  had  heard  the  same  tale.  The 
two  had  been  engaged  for  hours  in  mutual  strife,  taking  and 
re-taking  a  hetd  of  cattle.  By  means  of  the  large  drove 
and  bushes,  each  had  managed  to  conceal  himself  Sud- 
denly a  passage  opening  in  the  troop,  which  exposed  the  en- 
raged combatants  to  each  other's  view,  their  rifles  were  in- 
stantly levelled.  The  moment  they  touched  the  triggers,  a 
cow  darted  in  between,  and  the  two  balls  lodged  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  animal,  which  fell  dead  on  the  spot.  But  for  this 
interposition,  both  would,  in  all  probability,  have  fallen,  as 
they  were  most  expert  marksmen.  Titus,  a  man  who  could 
take  his  gun  in  the  dead  of  night,  enter  an  immense  deep 
pool  in  the  Orange  River,  swim  to  the  centre,  take  his  seat 
on  a  rock  just  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  wait  the 
approach  of  a  hippopotamus,  which  he  would  shoot  just  as 
it  opened  its  monstrous  jaws  to  seize  him.  A  man  who 
would  deliberately  smile  the  moment  he  laid  the  lion  dead 
at  his  feet.  This  man,  who  appeared  incapable  of  fear,  and 
reckless  of  danger,  could  not  help  acknowledging  being  most 
powerfully  struck  with  his  escape  from  the  ball  of  his  antag- 
onist, and  would  say  to  me  when  I  referred  to  the  fact, 
"  Mynheer  knows  how  to  use  the  only  hammer  which  makes 
my  hard  heart  feel." 

Nicholas  finished  his  Christian  course  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  the  Rev.  T.  L.  Hodgson,  Wesleyan  missionary  at 
Boochuap.     His  end  was  peace. 


CHAPTER  YI. 

From  the  preceding  description,  which,  though  a  mere 
glance  at  Africaner's  character,  or  hke  a  single  leaf  from 
which  a  volume  might  be  produced,  it  may  be  seen  that  it 
was  a  most  desirable  object  for  the  missionaries  to  make  him 
and  his  people  the  centre  of  their  labours,  or  otherwise  to 
obtain  a  sphere  sufficiently  distant  to  prevent  any  thing  like 
collision  between  the  people  of  their  charge  and  so  formida- 
ble a  neighbour.  Humanly  speaking,  had  the  former  plan 
been  adopted,  the  evils  which  succeeded  might  have  been 
prevented.  The  latter,  for  reasons  obvious  to  the  missiona- 
ries, was  unfortunately  chosen,  and  they  removed  to  the 
Warm  Bath,  about  100  miles  west  of  the  neighbourhood  of 
Africaner. 

Taking  up  this  place,  as  likely  to  become  a  permanent 
abode,  they  pitched  their  tent,  though  there  was  nothing 
lovely  in  its  appearance,  the  neighbourhood  being  bare  and 
sterile ;  and  the  small  portion  of  ground  capable  of  being 
irrigated  by  the  hot  spring,  so  salt  that  little  could  be  expect- 
ed to  grow.  People  and  loater  were,  however,  the  objects 
of  the  missionaries'  pursuit ;  and  of  all  places  they  had  seen 
or  heard  of,  this  was  the  most  likely  in  which  to  congregate 
a  tolerable,  though  at  most  a  small,  community.  Here  they 
resumed  their  labours  of  love,  casting  the  heavenly  seed  in 
the  hearts  of  their  hearers.  These  were  composed  of  a 
mixed  multitude  of  Namaquas,  and  Bastards  from  the  colo- 
ny, (called  on  that  account  Oorlams,)  whom  they,  as  well 
as  other  missionaries,  found  it  difficult  to  manage.  Origi- 
nating in  the  colony,  proud  of  their  superior  knowledge,  and 
having  a  smattering  of  the  Dutch  language,  they  stood  high 
in  their  own  estimation,  and  despised  the  aborigines.  This, 
in  many  instances,  gave  rise  to  dissension,  discord  and  war, 
so  as  even  to  overthrow  the  labours  of  the  missionaries,  and 
turn  a  thriving  settlement  into  desolation. 

For  a  season  the  prospects  of  the  brethren  continued 
cheering,  their  labours  being  blessed.  They  were  "  instant 
in  season  and  out  of  season  "  to  advance  the  temporal  and 
and  spiritual  interests  of  the  natives,  though  labouring  in  a 
debihtating  climate,  and  in  want  of  the  common  necessaries 


66  DEATH   OF   A.    ALBRECHT. 

of  life.  Their  table,  for  a  long  time,  the  lid  of  a  wagon- 
chest,  was  covered  with  the  most  scanty  fare.  One  feels  at 
a  loss,  while  reading  their  journals  and  letters  at  this  season, 
wliich  raiost  to  admire,  their  zeal,  their  self-denial,  or  their 
resignation  to  a  life  of  hardship.  While  labouring  here, 
their  congregation  was  increased  even  by  that  desperado 
Africaner,  who,  with  part  of  his  people,  drew  near,  and  at- 
tended occasionally  the  instructions  of  the  missionaries,  who 
visited  his  place  in  return.  It  was  here,  and  at  this  time, 
that  Jager,  afterwards  Christian  Africaner,  listened  with  at- 
tention to  the  first  principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ ;  and 
it  was  to  this  period  that  he  frequently  referred  in  his  com- 
munications with  me  ;  that  he  saw  "  men  as  trees  walking." 
But  this  was  but  a  transient  glimpse ;  for  a  degree  of  jealousy, 
and  perhaps  alarm,  was  excited  in  the  minds  of  the  inhabi- 
tants on  the  station,  which  influenced  Africaner  to  retire  to 
his  wonted  distance,  with  the  full  consent  of  the  missionaries, 
■who,  had  it  been  in  their  power,  would  gladly  have  prevented 
the  separation.  Abraham  Albrecht  soon  after  married  ;  but, 
ere  long,  he  was  compelled  by  ill  health  to  leave  the  station, 
and  proceed  to  the  colony,  where  he  hoped  that,  by  medical 
advice,  and  attention  to  regimen,  his  system  might  be  restored. 
His  frame  was  not  naturally  strong,  and  his  constitution  ill 
able  to  weather  the  hardships  which  had  marked  his  short 
career.  On  the  14th  of  May,  1810,  he  took  an  affectionate 
and  touching  farewell  of  the  flock  at  Warm  Bath,  and,  ac- 
companied by  his  brother  Christian,  left  Mr.  Tromp  to  carry 
on  the  work  of  the  mission.  After  a  journey,  trying  and 
tedious  in  the  extreme  to  a  sick  man,  he  reached  the  hospi- 
table mansion  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Botma,  the  faithful  and  de- 
voted friends  of  missionaries,  at  Honing  Berg,  near  Tulbagh, 
where  he  finished  his  earthly  course  on  the  30th  of  July. 
Shortly  before  he  fell  asleep  in  Jesus  he  read  a  chapter,  and 
conversed  on  its  contents.  To  the  inquiry  how  he  felt,  he 
rephed,  "  I  go.  to  Jesus  ;  I  am  a  member  of  his  body."  The 
writer  has  stood  by  his  grave  with  his  widow  (now  Mrs.  Eb- 
ner)  who,  pointing  to  it  with  much  feeling,  referred  to  his 
tranquil  passage  into  eternity,  his  deep  anxiety  for  the 
heathen  flock  he  had  left,  and  the  charge  he  gave  his  at- 
tendants, entreating  them  to  '^cleave  unto  the  Lord."  Im- 
mediately after  this  event.  Christian  Albrecht,  who  had  pro- 
ceeded to  Cape  Town,  was  married  to  Miss  Burgman,  a  lady 
of  superior  education  and  promise,  who  had  long  burned 
with  a  holy  zeal  to  encounter  the  perils  of  the  wilderness,  to 
make  known  the  savour  of  a  Redeemer's  name  among  the 


MURDER   OP   HANS   DRAYER.  67 

perishing  sons  and  daughters  of  Africa.  For  this  purpose, 
as  her  biographer  states,  "  she  cheerfully  relinquished  all  the 
gratifications  that  a  pleasing  connexion  wdth  her  pious  and 
respectable  friends  at  Rotterdam  afforded,  ready  to  encounter 
the  privations  and  hardships  which  she  fully  expected." 
Eminently  qualified  for  her  intended  station,  and  fondly 
anticipating  many  successful  years  in  the  work  which  had 
so  long  been  the  cherished  purpose  of  her  soul,  she  left  with 
her  husband  for  the  scene  of  her  labours  in  Great  Namaqua- 
land,  taking  with  them  the  widow  and  child  of  their  de- 
parted brother.  On  their  arrival  she  entered  on  her  long- 
anticipated  labour  with  the  utmost  ardour  ;  but,  alas!  a  heavy 
cloud  was  gathering,  which,  in  a  few  months,  darkened  their 
cheering  prospects,  and  burst  on  the  mission,  which  had  just 
begun  to  bid  fah  for  permanent  success. 

An  event  so  painful  and  destructive  to  the  mission  cause, 
will  require  some  notice  being  taken  of  its  origin  ;  which  I 
shall  give  nearly  in  the  language  of  the  late  Rev.  J.  Camp- 
bell, in  his  tract,  "  The  Life  of  Africaner,"  with  shght  cor- 
rections and  additions. 

"  Africaner  being  an  outlaw,  could  not  visit  the  colony  or  Cape  Town, 
and  in  order  to  procure  supplies,  employed  others.  He  entrusted  Hans 
Drayer  with  three  teams,  or  thirty  oxen,  commissioning  him  to  purchase 
a  wagon  for  Africaner,  with  the  twenty,  and  with  the  remaining  ten,  to 
bring  it  home :  and  at  the  same  time  allowing  an  ample  reward  for  Hans. 
He  had  not  gone  far  into  the  colony  before  he  met  a  farmer  to  whom  he 
owed  a  large  debt,  and  who  very  naturally  seized  the  whole.  Hans  re- 
turned chop-fallen  to  Mr.  Seidenfaden's  missionary  station  at  Kamies- 
berg,  of  which  he  had  the  charge  during  Mr.  S.'s  absence.  Africaner 
hearing  of  what  had  happened,  went  in  quest  of  Hans,  whom  he  expected 
to  find  humble,  but  who  was  insolent  to  the  last  degree.  On  their  punish- 
ing him  with  a  sambock,  he  seized  a  gun,  and  levelled  it  at  Africaner,  but 
he  was  instantly  despatched." 

Mr.  Seidenfaden  having  left  debts  behind  him,  among  the 
Great  Namaquas,  and  some  of  the  Africaners,  a  portion  of 
his  property  was  seized.  After  this  the  friends  of  Hans, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  Namaquas,  sought  revenge  on  the 
people  of  Africaner,  but  not  succeeding,  obtained  assistance 
from  the  people  of  Warm  Bath.  This,  with  a  false  report 
that  they  had  taken  some  of  his  cattle,  and  that  the  mission- 
aries were  their  abettors,  dreadfully  enraged  Africaner,  who 
vowed  vengeance  on  the  mission. 

The  situation  of  the  missionaries  and  their  wives  was  now 
most  distressing.  Among  a  feeble  and  timid  people,  with 
scarcely  any  means  of  defence,  a  bare  country  aroiuid,  no 


68  PAINFUL   DILEMMA. 

mountain-glen  or  cave  in  which  they  could  take  refuge,  a 
burning  sun,  and  a  glowing  plain  ;  200  miles  from  the  abodes 
of  civilized  men,  between  which  lay  a  waste-howling  wilder- 
ness, and  the  Orange  River,  seldom  fordable  by  wagons. 
Such  was  their  position  with  the  human  lion  in  his  lair, 
ready  to  rouse  himself  up  to  deeds  of  rapine  and  blood. 
This  is  no  coloured  picture,  for  the  Avriter  has  with  his  family 
been  placed  in  circumstances  not  dissimilar :  experience  is 
requisite  to  aid  in  just  conceptions  of  so  trying  a  moment. 
For  a  whole  month  they  were  in  constant  terror,  hourly  ex- 
pecting the  threatened  attack.  The  hearts  of  the  missiona- 
ries were  riven  with  anguish  ;  their  souls  revolted  at  the  idea 
of  abandoning  the  people,  who  were  now  suffering  from 
want,  to  become  a  prey  to  one  from  whom  they  could  ex- 
pect no  quarter.  On  one  occasion  they  dug  square  holes  in 
the  ground,  about  six  feet  deep,  that  in  case  of  an  attack 
they  might  escape  the  balls  ;  there  they  remained  buried 
alive  for  the  space  of  a  week,  having  the  tilt  sail  of  the 
wagon  thrown  over  the  mouth  of  the  pit  to  keep  off  the 
burning  rays  of  an  almost  vertical  sun.  As  one  of  the  suf- 
ferers told  me,  she  scarcely  knew  whether  they  had  to  suffer 
most  by  day  or  by  night,  for  the  heat  sometimes  amounted 
nearly  to  suffocation.  From  this  place  they  removed  at  the 
suggestion  of  Fledermuis,  a  chief,  northward  to  the  base  of 
the  Karas  mountains  ;  but  finding  it  impossible  to  settle,  they 
retired  to  the  colony  to  seek  counsel  and  assistance. 

But  to  return  to  Africaner.  He  spread  devastation 
around  him,  attacked  the  Namaquas,  and  proceeded  to 
Warm  Bath.  Finding  it  abandoned,  his  followers  com.- 
menced  a  rigid  search  for  any  articles  which  might  have 
been  concealed  for  safety  in  the  earth,  and  were  but  too 
successful.  While  the  plunderers  were  engaged  in  their 
destructive  operations,  an  incident  occurred,  almost  too 
ludicrous  for  so  melancholy  a  recital.  As  the  triumphant 
chief  and  his  adherents  were  revelhng  in  their  ill-gotten 
spoils,  not  without  some  qualms  of  conscience,  derived  from 
the  light,  however  little,  which  they  had  received,  especially 
as  they  now  stood  upon  holy  ground,  which  recalled  the 
scenes  of  by-gone  days,  one  of  the  chieftain's  attendants 
strayed  into  the  burying-ground,  where  already  a  few 
mounds  distinguished  it  from  the  surrounding  waste  as  the 
place  of  the  dead.  Stepping  over  what  he  supposed  a 
newly  closed  grave,  he  heard,  to  his  surprise,  soft  notes  of 
music  vibrate  beneath.  He  stood  motionless,  gazing  over 
his    shoulder,  with    mouth    and    eyes  dilated,   hesitating 


A   CURIOUS   EXHUMATION.  69 

whether  to  stand  still,  and  see  the  dead  arise,  which  he  had 
heard  the  missionaries  preach  about,  or  take  to  his  heels. 
After  no  little  palpitation  of  heart,  in  order  to  assure  him- 
self, he  mustered  courage  to  make  another  trial,  for  the 
tones  he  had  heard  had  died  away.  His  second  leap  again 
roused  the  sepulchral  harp,  which  now  fell  in  soft  but  awful 
cadence  on  his  ear.  Without  casting  an  eye  behind,  he 
darted  off  to  the  camp,  and,  with  breathless  amazement, 
announced  to  Africaner  the  startling  discovery  he  had  made 
of  life  and  music  in  the  grave.  The  appearance  of  the  man 
convinced  Africaner  that  he  was  in  earnest,  for  reason 
seldom  reels  in  that  country.  The  chief,  fearless  of  the 
living  or  the  dead,  was  not  to  be  scared  even  by  the  sup- 
posed spectre  of  the  tomb,  arose,  and  ordered  his  men  to 
follow  him  to  the  spot.  One  jumped  and  another  jumped, 
and  at  each  succeeding  leap,  succeeding  notes  of  the  softest 
music  vibrated  on  the  ear  from  beneath.  Recourse  was  had 
instantly  to  exhumation.  The  mysterious  musician  was 
soon  brought  to  light.  It  proved  to  be  Mrs.  Albrecht's 
piano-forte,  which  she  had  taken  with  her  from  London,  and 
which  was  the  first  ever  conveyed  into  the  Transgariepine 
regions.  Being  too  cumbrous  to  be  taken  in  a  hasty  flight, 
it  had  been  buried  in  a  soil  where,  from  the  entire  absence 
of  moisture,  it  might,  but  for  this  circumstance,  have  re- 
mained unscathed.  Africaner,  whose  martial  spirit  made  him 
a  fitter  associate  for  Mars  than  for  the  Muses,  allowed  the 
instrument  to  be  dissected,  parts  of  which  I  have  seen,  from 
which  those  fingers  now  silent  in  the  grave  had  called  forth 
divine  harmony. 

To  finish  the  varied  but  sorrowful  detail,  one  of  the  men 
of  Africaner,  on  seeing  him  depart,  took  a  fire-brand,  and 
set  fire  to  the  houses  and  huts,  which  were  soon  reduced  to 
ashes  ;  and  thus  the  light  of  Divine  truth,  which  had  just 
been  enkindled  in  those  gloomy  regions,  was  extinguished 
for  a  season;  and  a  peaceful  Zion  reduced  to  a  heap  of 
ruins.  I  have  walked  over  them  in  pensive  sorrow,  and 
slumbered  among  them,  when  the  owl  only  broke  the  death- 
like silence  which  reigned  witli  its  melancholy  note,  or  the 
gaunt  hyena  howled  in  quest  of  prey.  It  might  be  profitable 
to  improve  this  event,  by  tracing  the  succession  of  evils 
which  befell  that  mission  to  their  source.  It  might  afford 
instructive  lessons  to  those  who  may  be  similarly  situated. 
It  is,  however,  not  my  object  to  preach,  but  faithfully  to 
narrate  past  events;  leaving  my  readers,  especially  such  as 
have  entered  into  the  labours  of  others  of  whose  sufferings 


70  DEATH   OF   MR.    AND   MRS.    ALBRECHT. 

it  is  scarcely  possible  for  them  to  form  an  adequate  concep- 
tion, to  make  the  improvement.  I  have  known  a  newly 
arrived  missionary  listen  to  the  apparently  romantic  tale  of 
a  veteran  of  the  above  order,  with  the  conviction,  that  the 
exaggerated  picture  he  drew  of  past  trials  must  have  been 
the  effect  of  an  intellect  partially  weakened.  It  is  impossi- 
ble to  take  a  minute  survey  of  the  lives  and  labours  of  some 
of  our  missionaries,  whose  names  have  become,  like  their 
voices,  silent  in  death,  without  concluding  that  "  there  were 
giants  in  those  days,"  like  Christian  Albrecht ;  a  glance  at 
whose  concluding  days,  and  those  of  his  beloved  partner, 
must  close  the  present  chapter. 

Driven  by  necessity,  as  we  have  previously  shown,  to  the 
colony,  a  visit  to  Cape  Town  cheered  their  drooping  spirits 
a  little,  though  still  feeling  the  effects  of  previous  suffering ; 
for  Mrs.  A.  writes,  just  on  the  eve  of  again  returning,  in 
December  1811,  addressing  the  directors,  "Yes,  dear 
brethren,  we  have  suffered  much  in  every  respect,  and  my 
soul  and  body  are  very  much  dejected."  After  a  most 
distressing  journey,  sometimes  under  apprehension  of  perish- 
ing in  the  wilderness,  they  reached  Silver  Fountain,  the 
residence  of  Cornelius  Kok,  who  again  rendered  signal 
service  to  the  weary,  worn-out  travellers.  Here  Mrs. 
Albrecht  breathed  her  last,  on  the  13th  of  April,  just  five 
days  after  their  arrival;  and  when  she  anticipated  some 
repose  she  was  removed  to  an  eternal  rest ;  to  the  last  her 
heart  was  fixed  on  her  Master's  work.  The  Namaqua 
mission  was  resumed  at  Pella,  south  of  the  river,  and  which 
was  so  called  from  its  becoming  the  place  of  refuge  ;  there 
they  were  joined  by  about  500  of  the  Warm  Bath  people. 
Mr.  C.  Albrecht,  having  occasion  again  to  go  to  the  Cape 
for  medical  advice,  as  his  health  had  been  for  some  time 
declining,  while  there  engaged  in  his  Master's  business, 
suddenly  expired,  leaving  behind  him  a  bright  testimony  of 
zeal,  love,  and  self-denial  seldom  equalled.  His  labours 
follow  him,  while  his  remains  slumber  beside  those  of  Dr. 
Vanderkemp,  on  a  foreign  shore,  waiting  the  sound  of  the 
last  trump.  But  before  he  was  called,  like  a  faithful  servant, 
to  the  "joy  of  his  Lord,"  a  d^elightful  realization  of  the 
faithfulness  and  mercy  of  Jehovah  was  permitted  to  enlighten 
and  cheer  his  latter  days.  Many  and  fervent  were  the 
prayers  which  he  and  his  coadjutors  had  offered  up  to  the 
throne  of  God  for  the  poor  Namaquas,  and  for  Africaner  too. 
These  prayers  were  heard  ;  and  before  leaving  the  country, 
he  had  the  ineffable  joy,  which  it  would  require  an  angel's 


REV.  J.  Campbell's  journey.  71 

tongue  to  describe,  of  making  peace  with  Africaner,  and 
seeinof  the  standard  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  reared  in  the 
very  village  of  the  man  who  once  "breathed  out  threaten- 
ings  and  slaughter"  agamst  not  only  his  fellow  heathen,  but 
against  the  saints  of  the  Most  High.  ,:^ 


CHAPTER    VII. 

The  Rev.  J.  Campbell,  in  his  first  visit  to  Africa,  to  which 
reference  has  been  made,  found  it  necessary  to  cross  the 
interior  of  the  continent  to  Namaqua-land.  During  his 
journey,  he  found  in  every  village  through  which  he  passed 
the  terror  of  Africaner's  name,  and,  as  Mr.  C.  expresses  it, 
"  a  trembling,  lest  he  should  pay  them  a  visit ;"  and  he 
might  have  added  what  he  has  often  since  done,  with  the 
voice,  "  that  he  and  his  retinue  never  were  so  afraid  in  their 
hves."  On  reaching  Pella,  he  wrote  a  conciliatory  letter  to 
Africaner :  leaving  it  to  be  forwarded,  he  pursued  his  jour- 
ney to  the  colony.  Mr.  Sass  undertook  to  convey  this 
important  document ;  but  after  searching  for  Africaner  for 
some  time,  he  was  compelled,  by  thirst  and  hunger,  to 
relinquish  his  object,  committing  the  letter  to  one  well 
acquainted  with  Africaner,  and  in  whom  he  could  confide. 
On  his  return,  Mr.  S.  and  his  attendants  had  nearly  perished 
from  thirst ;  they  came  to  a  hole  in  a  rock  where  there  was 
water,  and  into  which  a  large  hyena  having  forced  itself, 
had  been  drowned:  the  stench  was  horrible,  and  in  attempt- 
ing to  draw  the  now  putrid  carcase  out,  it  went  to  pieces  in 
their  hands.  But  thirst  will  compel  a  man  to  do  what 
would  scarcely  be  credited  in  England ;  they  drank,  though 
the  beasts  of  burden,  panting  for  want  of  water,  would  not 
taste  of  the  almost  putrid  draught.  To  this  letter  Africaner 
sent  a  favourable  reply,  and  C.  Albrecht  lost  no  time  in 
accomplishing  what  he  had  so  long  desired;  and  soon  after 
Mr.  Ebner  was  sent  from  Pella. 

I  now  enter  into  the  history  of  that  part  of  the  Namaqua 
mission  which  requires  a  delicate  hand  to  touch,  and  which 
cannot  be  done  without  violence  to  my  own  feelings.     But 


4». 


72  MR.    EBNER   SENT   TO   THE   MISSION. 

it  is  impossible  for  me  to  avoid  reference  to  certain  points 
•which  illustrate  subsequent  events.  The  station  now  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Ebner  was  a  most  important  one,  on  which 
great  responsibilities  lay,  and  from  which  results  of  the  high- 
est importance  might  accrue  to  Namaqua-land.  Mr.  Eb- 
ner's  labours  were  blessed,  though  he  was  not  what  Mr. 
Albrecht  desired,  nor  the  man  Mr.  Campbell  would  have 
sent ;  but  labourers  were  few.  It  required  no  little  circum- 
spection, acuteness,  and  decision,  to  gain  influence  and  es- 
teem from  a  people  who  had  been  guilty  of  such  enormities, 
and  whose  hand  had  been  against  every  one.  Every  action 
and  sentence  of  the  missionary  was  weighed  by  minds  accus- 
tomed to  scrutinize  and  suspect.  In  the  course  of  a  short 
time,  Africaner,  his  two  brothers,  David  and  Jacobus,  with  a 
number  of  others,  were  baptized  ;  but  soon  after,  Mr.  Ebner' s 
situation  was  rendered  extremely  trying,  by  the  interference 
of  a  runaway  from  the  Cape,  named  Peterson,  who  went 
so  far  as  to  threaten  to  take  Mr.  E.'s  property,  and  even  his 
life,  if  he  resisted ;  while,  to  the  grief  of  the  latter,  it  was 
evident  that  Africaner  connived  at  the  menaces  of  this  in- 
dividual, whom  he  had  power  to  control  with  a  word. 

In  1817,  Mr.  Ebner  visited  Cape  Town  for  supplies,  where 
the  writer  first  hailed  him  with  delight,  as  his  companion 
and  guide  in  his  future  labours,  upon  which  he  was  now  en- 
tering. As  my  course,  with  that  of  Mr.  Kitcliingman,  who 
was  appointed  to  Bysondermeid,  in  Little  Namaqua-land, 
lay  to  that  place,  in  order  to  see  Mr.  Schmelen,  we  did  not 
travel  much  together,  Mr.  Ebner  having  to  take  another 
route.  It  was  evident  to  me,  as  I  approached  the  bounda- 
ries of  the  colony,  that  the  farmers,  who,  of  course,  had  not 
one  good  word  to  say  of  Africaner,  were  sceptical  to  the  last 
degree  about  his  reported  conversion,  and  most  unceremo- 
niously predicted  my  destruction.  One  said  he  would  set 
me  up  for  a  mark  for  his  boys  to  shoot  at ;  and  another,  that 
he  would  strip  off  my  sldn,  and  make  a  drum  of  it  to  dance 
to;  another  mo.st  consoHng  prediction  was,  that  he  would 
make  a  drinliing  cup  of  my  scull.  I  believe  they  were  seri- 
ous, and  especially  a  kind  motherly  lady,  who,  wiping  the 
tear  from  her  eye,  bade  me  farewell,  saying,  "  Had  you  been 
an  old  man,  it  would  have  been  nothing,  for  you  would  soon 
have  died,  whether  or  no  ;  but  you  are  young,  and  going  to 
become  a  prey  to  that  monster." 

A  hasty  sketch  of  our  journey  to  Bysondermeid,  may  not 
be  unacceptable  to  some  of  my  readers,  who  may  be  little 
acquainted  with  Africa.      Raw  travellers  in  that  country 


VIEWS  OP  YOUNG  TRAVELLERS.  73 

■s 

generally  have  to  learn  much  by  experience,  and  that  some- 
times dear  bought,  the  mode  of  conveyance  being  so  entirely 
different  from  that  of  Europe.  The  first  thing,  the  wagon, 
in  his  estimation,  is  an  awkward,  heavy  vehicle  ;  and  though 
he  never  in  his  life  was  in  a  wheelwright's  shop,  he  pro- 
nounces it  clumsy,  and  capable  of  immense  improvement ; 
but,  like  all  his  predecessors,  eventually  confesses  that  its 
size,  and  mechanism,  are  inimitably  adapted  to  the  ravines 
and  rocky  ascents  over  which  it  must  pass.  Accustomed  to 
horse,  though  not  railroad  speed,  he  is  wearied  out  of  pa- 
tience with  the  slow  and  measured  paces  of  the  oxen,  going 
at  two  and  a  half  miles  an  hour,  and  only  seven  or  eight 
hours  each  day.  The  untractable  disposition  of  some,  and 
the  apparently  awkward  harness  of  ten  or  twelve  oxen  be- 
fore the  wagon,  produce  something  like  disgust.  I  remem- 
ber one  newly  arrived,  a  tailor  by  trade,  remarking,  as  he 
looked  on  a  graceful  African  team,  "  How  barbarous  the 
people  must  be  not  to  be  able  to  harness  their  oxen  better  ; 
any  one  would  improve  it."  He  has  not  done  it  yet.  He 
then  finds  fault  with  the  people,  and  thinks  himself  very 
patient,  because  he  does  not  scold  them  hard,  or  disband 
them  altogether.  The  people  not  understanding  his  broken 
language,  and  he  knowing  but  little  of  theirs,  preclude  him 
from  having  things  done  as  he  would.  His  oxen  stray  ;  one 
man  is  tardy,  another  lazy,  and  a  third  runs  away,  and  pro- 
bably relieves  him  of  a  trifle  of  his  heavy  load,  which  had 
brought  him  to  a  halt  in  the  bed  of  a  river,  or  on  the  side  of  a 
bleak  mountain.  He  pronounces,  or  is  ready  to  pronounce, 
African  servants  as  lazy,  disobedient,  dishonest,  and,  in  fact, 
libels  them  and  those  under  whom  they  have  been  instructed. 
Mr.  Kitchingman  and  myself  were  spared  many  of  these 
hard  lessons,  having  been  located  with  kind  and  hospitable 
farmers,  some  months  before  commencing  our  journey;  but 
we  had  our  trials,  though  not  like  some  of  our  predecessors, 
in  the  gipsy  life  of  an  African  traveller.  We  obtained  men 
to  drive  the  wao-ons,  and  men  to  lead  the  team  of  oxen,  for 

07  ^  111  !•• 

each  team  requires  a  driver  and  a  leader;  and  as  it  is 
necessary,  for  contingencies,  to  have  a  number  of  loose  or 
spare  oxen,  and  sometimes  sheep  for  slaughter,  and  occa- 
sionally a  horse,  an  individual  or  tsvo  are  required  to  bring 
them  up  in  the  rear.  Servants  being  very  scarce  at  the 
time  we  travelled,  it  was  with  great  difficulty  we  procured 
a  loose  cattle  driver ;  one  we  obtained,  but,  on  getting  a 
portion  of  his  reward  in  advance,  he  decamped.  Mr.  K. 
and  I  undertook  to  do  the  work  ourselves,  and  from  the 

7 


74  THE   LOST    SHEEP. 

extreme  heat  of  the  season,  (November,)  it  was  necessary  to 
travel  most  during  the  night.  We  took  the  work  alternately, 
for  Mrs.  Kitchingman  being  in  a  very  delicate  state  of 
health,  and  near  a  period  of  maternal  solicitude,  it  was 
necessary  that  one  should  constantly  attend  to  support  her, 
under  the  almost  constant  jolting  of  the  wagon,  without 
springs,  on  a  rough  and  stony  road.  The  task  of  driving 
the  loose  cattle  was  not  an  easy  one,  for  frequently  the  oxen 
would  take  one  course,  the  sheep  another,  and  the  horses  a 
third.  It  required  no  little  perseverance,  as  well  as  courage, 
when  sometimes  the  hyena  would  approach  with  his  un- 
eartlily  howl,  and  set  the  poor  timid  sheep  to  their  heels; 
and  the  missionary,  dreading  the  loss  of  his  mutton,  in  his 
haste,  gets  his  legs  lacerated  by  one  bush,  and  his  face 
scratched  by  another,  now  tumbles  prostrate  over  an  ant 
hill,  and  then  headlong  into  the  large  hole  of  a  wild  boar. 
He  frequently  arrives  at  the  halting  place  long  after  the 
wagons,  when  the  keen  eye  of  the  native  wagon  driver 
surveys  the  cattle,  and  announces  to  the  breathless  and 
thirsty  missionary,  that  he  has  lost  some  of  his  charge.  He 
sits  down  by  the  fire,  which  is  always  behind  a  bush,  if  such 
is  to  be  found,  tells  his  exploits,  looks  at  liis  wounds,  and  so 
ends  his  day's  labours  with  a  sound  sleep. 

Next  morning  he  gets  up  early  to  seek  the  strayed,  and  if 
it  happen  to  be  a  sheep,  he  is  almost  sure  to  find  only  the 
bones,  the  hyena  having  made  a  repast  on  the  rest.  Once 
our  little  flock  of  sheep  was  reduced  to  one,  and  one  sheep 
will  not  easily  travel  alone,  but  soon  becomes  very  tame,  so 
as  to  walk  about  like  one  of  the  dogs ;  indeed,  ours  became 
so  very  sociable,  that  we  loved  it,  and  tried  hard  to  spare  its 
life.  It  generally  travelled  with  a  long  leather  thong  tied 
round  its  neck,  with  which  it  was  fastened  during  the  night. 
However,  having  fasted  long  from  animal  food,  being  unable 
to  procure  game,  sentence  was  passed,  and  the  pet  sheep  M^as 
to  die  next  morning ;  but  it  so  happened  that  the  near  ap- 
proach of  a  hyena  frightened  away  the  sheep,  and  being 
dark,  the  country  bushy  and  mountainous,  pursuit  was  out  of 
the  question.  Early  next  morning  Mr.  K.  and  I  followed 
the  track,  which  showed  us  that  the  hyena  had  pursued  it  to 
the  mountains,  to  which  such  animals  instinctively  resort. 
After  a  long  and  wearisome  search,  we  discovered  our  lost 
sheep  near  the  top  of  the  rugged  elevation.  It  had  still,  as 
the  natives  express  it,  de  schrik  in  de  lyfe^  (the  terror  in  the 
body,)  and  fled  at  our  approach  ;  sometimes  when  we,  after 
great  labour,  got  within  a  step  of  the  thong,  away  it  bound- 


LEAVE   BYSONDERMEID.  75 

ed,  tin  it  ascended  cliffs  beyond  our  reach.  It  was  most 
mortifying  to  us  to  leave  such  a  feast  to  the  panthers,  but  not 
having  a  gun  with  us,  and  seeing  some  foot-marks  of  these 
dangerous  animals,  we  slowly  returned  to  the  wagons,  where 
all  were  anticipating  a  mutton  chop,  and  the  only  compli- 
ment paid  to  our  exertions  was,  that  we  had  managed  very 
badly. 

We  had  troubles  of  another  kind,  and  such  as  we  did  not 
expect  in  so  dry  and  thirsty  a  land.  Rain  had  iallen  some 
time  previous  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kamies  Berg :  the 
loose  soil,  abounding  in  limy  particles,  had  become  so  satu- 
rated, that  frequently,  as  the  oxen  and  wagons  went  along 
the  road,  they  would  suddenly  sink  into  a  mire,  from  which 
they  were  extricated  with  difficulty,  being  obliged  to  unload 
the  wagons  and  drag  them  out  backwards.  One  river  was 
so  swollen  and  rapid,  that  Mrs.  K.  preferred  being  carried 
over  to  going  in  the  wagon.  Being  rather  more  robust  than 
Mr.  K.,  this  duty  devolved  on  me,  and  it  was  not  an  easy 
one,  as  the  stones  in  the  river  were  as  slippery  as  butter,  and 
the  whole  party  standing  on  the  bank,  all  in  a  titter,  expect- 
ing every  moment  that  we  should  both  have  a  plunge,  which, 
though  not  unattended  with  danger,  excited  the  risible  facul- 
ties in  no  ordinary  degree. 

It  was  at  Bysondermeid  that  I  saw,  for  the  first  time, 
what  might  strictly  be  called  a  real  native  congregation,  con- 
sisting of  the  aborigines  of  the  country ;  and  I  shall  never 
forget  what  were  my  emotions  when  listening  to  Mr.  Schme- 
len,  in  his  energetic  style,  addressing  the  attentive  throng, 
and  observing  what  attention  they  paid  to  the  broken  Dutch 
of  the  missionary  recruits.  This  was  to  be  the  scene  of  Mr. 
Kitchingman's  labours,  while  Mr.  Schmelen  was  to  proceed 
to  the  interior  of  Great  Namaqua-land,  where  he  had  before 
laboured. 

I  remained  nearly  a  month  with  Mr.  Schmelen  at  Byson- 
dermeid. His  long  experience  afforded  me  much  useful  in- 
formation. My  oxen  being  somewhat  rested,  I  bade  fare- 
well to  my  companions  in  travel,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kitching- 
man,  now  greatly  endeared,  and  proceeded  with  a  guide 
through  a  comparative  trackless  desert.  Having  travelled 
nearly  the  whole  night  through  deep  sand,  the  oxen  began 
to  lie  down  in  the  yoke  from  fatigue,  obliging  us  to  halt  be- 
fore reaching  water.  The  next  day  we  pursued  our  course, 
and  on  arriving  at  the  place  where  we  had  hoped  to  find 
water,  we  were  disappointed.  As  it  appeared  evident  that  if 
we  continued  the  same  route  we  must  perish  from  thirst,  at 


76  A    DESERT    SCENE. 

the  suggestion  of  my  guide  we  turned  northward,  over  a 
dreary,  trackless,  sandy  waste,  without  one  green  blade  of 
grass,  and  scarcely  a  bush  on  which  the  wearied  eye  could 
rest.  Becoming  dark,  the  oxen  unable  to  proceed,  ourselves 
exhausted  with  dreadful  thirst  and  fatigue,  we  stretched  our 
wearied  limbs  on  sand  still  warm  from  the  noon-tide  heat, 
being  the  hot  season  of  the  year.  Thirst  aroused  us  at  an 
early  hour ;  and  finding  the  oxen  incapable  of  moving  the 
wagon  one  inch,  we  took  a  spade,  and,  with  the  oxen,  pro- 
ceeded to  a  hollow  in  a  neighbouring  mountain.  Here  we 
laboured  for  a  long  time,  digging  an  immense  hole  in  the 
sand,  whence  we  obtained  a  scanty  supply,  exactly  resem- 
bling the  old  bilge-water  of  a  ship,  but  which  was  drunk  with 
an  avidity  which  no  pen  can  describe.  Hours  were  occu- 
pied in  incessant  labour  to  obtain  a  sufficiency  for  the  oxen, 
which,  by  the  time  all  had  partaken,  were  ready  for  a  second 
draught ;  while  some,  from  the  depth  of  the  hole  and  the 
loose  sand,  got  scarcely  any.  We  filled  the  small  vessels 
which  we  had  brought,  and  returned  to  the  wagon  over  a 
plain  glowing  with  a  meridian  sun ;  the  sand  being  so  hot, 
it  was  distressingly  painful  to  walk.  The  oxen  ran  frantic, 
till  they  came  to  a  place  indurated,  with  little  sand.  Here 
they  stood  together,  to  cool  their  burning  hoofs  in  the  shade 
of  their  own  bodies ;  those  on  the  outside  always  trying  to 
get  into  the  centre.  In  the  evening,  when  about  to  yoke 
them  in  order  to  proceed  on  our  journey,  we  found  that  most 
of  the  oxen  had  run  ofT  towards  Bysondermeid.  An  attend- 
ant, who  was  despatched  in  search  of  them,  returned  at  mid- 
night with  the  sad  tidings  that  he  was  compelled  by  thirst, 
and  terror  of  meeting  with  lions,  to  abandon  his  pursuit. 

No  time  was  to  be  lost,  and  I  instantly  sent  off  the  re- 
inaining  oxen  with  two  men,  to  take  them  to  the  next  foun- 
tain, and  then  proceed  to  solicit  assistance  from  Mr.  Bart- 
lett,  at  Pella.  Three  days  I  remained  with  my  wagon- 
driver  on  this  burning  plain,  with  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind  ; 
and  what  there  was  felt  as  if  coming  from  the  mouth  of  an 
oven.  We  had  only  tufts  of  dry  grass  to  make  a  small  fire, 
or  rather  flame  ;  and  little  Avas  needful,  for  we  had  scarcely 
any  food  to  prepare.  We  saw  no  human  being,  although 
we  had  an  extensive  prospect;  not  a  single  antilope  or  beast 
of  prey  made  its  appearance  ]  but  in  the  dead  of  the  night 
we  sometimes  heard  the  distant  roar  of  the  lion  on  the  moun- 
tain, where  we  had  to  go  twice  a  day  for  our  nauseous  but 
grateful  beverage.  At  last,  when  we  Avere  beginning  to  fear 
that  the  men  had  either  perished  or  wandered,  Mr.  Bartlett 


ARRIVAL    AT   PELL  A.  77 

arrived  on  horseback,  with  two  men  having  a  quantity  of 
mutton  tied  to  their  saddles.  I  cannot  conceive  of  an  epi- 
cure gazing  on  a  table  groaning  under  the  weight  of  viands, 
with  half  the  delight  that  I  did  on  the  mutton,  which,  though 
killed  only  the  preceding  evening,  required  no  keeping  to 
make  it  tender.  Oxen  had  been  sent  for,  which  were  to  ar- 
rive in  two  days.  This  time  was  spent  in  mutually  refresh- 
ing intercourse ;  but  Mr.  B.,  although  inured  to  Namaqua 
heat,  remarked,  that  what  we  experienced  was  enough  to 
set  the  grass  on  fire. 

Fresh  oxen,  accustomed  to  deep  sand,  soon  brought  us  to 
Pella.  Here  I  remained  a  few  days,  and  was  greatly  in- 
vigorated in  body  and  mind  by  the  truly  Christian  kindness 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartlett,  as  well  as  by  the  friendly  atten- 
tions of  the  heathen  converts.  When  about  to  depart,  Ma- 
german,  the  native  teacher  of  Warm  Bath,  arrived  with 
oxen,  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  me  thither.  Hence,  a 
contention,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  ensued,  my  destination 
being  Africaner's  kraal,  where  they  were  awaiting  my  arri- 
val, having  been  apprised  of  my  coming  by  Mr,  Ebner,  who 
had  returned  there  about  six  weeks  previous.  At  last  Ma- 
german  consented  to  take  me  to  the  other  side  of  the  river  ; 
and  the  good  man,  hoping  to  gain  his  point,  conducted  me 
to  a  ford,  opposite  which  a  village  of  his  people  lay,  who  he 
expected  would  take  me  by  force.  The  wagon  and  its  con- 
tents were  swam  over  piecemeal,  on  a  fragile  raft  of  dry 
willow  logs,  about  six  feet  long,  and  from  four  to  six  inches 
in  diameter,  fastened  together  with  the  inner  bark  of  the 
mimosas,  which  stud  the  banks  of  the  river,  which  is  at  this 
place  500  yards  wide,  rocky,  with  a  rapid  current.  The 
rafts  are  carried  a  great  distance  down  by  the  stream,  taken 
to  pieces  every  time  of  crossing,  each  man  swimming  back 
with  a  log. 

When,  after  some  days'  labour,  all  was  conveyed  to  the 
opposite  shore,  the  last  raft  was  prepared  for  me,  on  which 
I  was  requested  to  place  myself  and  hold  fast.  I  confess, 
though  a  swimmer,  I  did  not  like  the  voyage,  independently 
of  not  wishing  to  give  them  the  trouble  of  another  laborious 
crossing.  I  \\dthdrew  along  the  woody  bank,  and  plunged 
into  the  river,  leaving  my  clothes  to  be  conveyed  over.  As 
soon  as  they  saw  me  approaching  the  middle  of  the  current, 
terrified  lest  evil  should  beiall  me,  some  of  the  most  expert 
swimmers  plunged  in,  and  laboured  hard  to  overtake  me, 
but  in  vain  ;  and  when  I  reached  the  northern  band,  an  in- 


78 

dividual  came  up  to  me,  almost  out  of  breath,  and  asked, 
"  Were  you  born  in  the  great  sea  water  ?" 

The  wagon  and  contents  being  removed  beyond  the  reach 
of  a  flood,  which  sometimes  comes  down  with  little  warning, 
an  affecting  scene  presented  itself,  which  perfectly  overcame 
iTiy  feelings.  Magerman  and  his  people  beset  my  wagon, 
reasoning,  pleading,  and  praying  that  I  might  go  to  Warm 
Bath.  The  following  day  the  subject  was  renewed  with 
such  earnestness,  that  it  was  afternoon  before  I  tasted  a 
mouthful  of  food.  At  last  the  women  came  like  a  regiment, 
and  declared  that  if  I  left  them,  I  must  take  the  wagon  over 
their  bodies,  for  they  would  lie  down  before  the  wheels.  It 
was  in  vain  I  pleaded  my  destination,  and  the  necessity  of 
proceeding  first  to  Africaner,  to  fulfil  the  promise  of  the  di- 
rectors. At  last  a  party  of  Africaner's  people,  with  three  of 
his  brothers,  were  seen  approaching  in  the  distance.  This 
ended  the  painful  conflict ;  for,  awed  by  their  presence,  they 
withdrew,  with  many  tears. 


CHAPTER   YIII. 


On  the  26th  of  January,  1818,  I  arrived,  with  emotions  of 
the  deepest  gratitude  to  God,  at  Africaner's  kraal,  (after- 
wards called,  by  Mr.  Ebner,  Vreede  Berg,  and  then  Jerusar 
lem,)  being  kindly  received  by  Mr.  E.  Africaner's  brother, 
who  had  charge  of  my  wagon,  took  it  to  a  large  tree  in  the 
village,  at  some  hundred  yards'  distance  from  the  temporary 
hut  of  Mr.  Ebner.  This  I  did  not  like,  but  knew  that  some- 
times it  was  wiser  to  be  silent  than  to  speak.  Appearances 
were  not  so  inviting  as  I  had  hoped  to  find  them  ;  and 
Christian  Africaner,  the  chief,  was  some  time  before  he  came 
to  welcome  me.  I  was  not  aware  of  any  unpleasant  feeling 
existing  between  the  missionary  and  the  people,  although  I 
was  startled,  before  I  left  the  colony,  to  hear  Mr.  Ebner  de- 
scribe them  as  a  wicked,  suspicious,  and  dangerous  people, 
baptized  as  well  as  unbaptized. 

After  remaining  an  hour  or  more  in  this  situation.  Chris- 
tian Africaner  miade  liis  appearance  ;    and  after  the  usual 


COMFORTS    OF    A    NATIVE    HOUSE,  79 

salutation,  inquired  if  I  was  the  missionary  appointed  by  the 
Directors  in  London;  to  which  I  repHed  in  the  affirmative. 
This  seemed  to  afford  him  much  pleasure ;  and  he  added, 
that  as  I  was  young,  he  hoped  that  I  should  live  long  with 
liini  and  his  people.  He  then  ordered  a  number  of  women 
to  come  ;  I  was  rather  puzzled  to  know  what  he  intended 
by  sending  for  women,  till  they  arrived,  bearing  bundles  of 
native  mats  and  long  sticks,  like  fishing-rods,  Africaner 
pointing  to  a  spot  of  ground,  said,  "  There,  you  must  build  a 
house  for  the  missionary."  A  circle  was  instantly  formed, 
and  the  women  evidently  delighted  with  the  job,  fixed  the 
poles,  tied  them  down  in  the  hemispheric  form,  and  covered 
them  with  the  mats,  all  ready  for  habitation,  in  the  course 
of  little  more  than  half-an-hour.  Since  that  time  I  have  seen 
houses  built  of  all  descriptions,  and  assisted  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  good  many  myself;  but  I  confess  I  never  witnessed 
such  expedition.  Hottentot  houses,  (for  such  they  may  be 
called,  being  confined  to  the  different  tribes  of  that  nation,) 
are  at  best  not  very  comfortable.  I  lived  nearly  six  months 
in  this  native  hut,  which  very  frequently  required  tightening 
and  fastening  after  a  storm.  When  the  sun  shone,  it  was 
unbearably  hot ;  when  the  rain  fell,  I  came  in  for  a  share  of 
it ;  when  the  wind  blew,  I  had  frequently  to  decamp  to 
escape  the  dust ;  and  in  addition  to  these  little  inconve- 
niences, any  hungry  cur  of  a  dog  that  wished  a  night's  lodg- 
ing, would  force  itself  through  the  frail  wall,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  deprive  me  of  my  anticipated  meal  for  the  coming 
day ;  and  I  have  more  than  once  found  a  serpent  coiled  up 
in  a  corner.  Nor  were  these  all  the  contingencies  of  such  a 
dwelling,  for  as  the  cattle  belonging  to  the  village  had  no 
fold,  but  strolled  about,  I  have  been  compelled  to  start  up 
from  a  sound  sleep,  and  try  to  defend  myself  and  my  dwell- 
ing from  being  crushed  to  pieces  by  the  rage  of  two  bulls 
which  had  met  to  fight  a  nocturnal  duel. 

But  to  return  to  my  new  habitation,  in  M'hich,  after  my 
household  matters  were  arranged,  I  began  to  ruminate  on 
the  past — the  home  and  friends  I  had  left,  perhaps  for  ever ; 
the  mighty  ocean  which  rolled  between  the  desert  country 
through  which  I  had  passed,  to  reach  one  still  more  dreary. 
In  taking  a  review  of  the  past,  which  seemed  to  increase  in 
brightness,  as  I  traced  all  the  way  in  which  I  had  been 
brought,  during  the  stillness  of  my  first  night's  repose,  I  often 
involuntarily  said  and  sung, 

"  Here  I  raise  my  Ebrnozer, 
Hither  by  thy  help  I  'm  come." 


80  PERPLEXING   CIRCUMSTANCES. 

The  inimitable  hymn  from  which  these  lines  are  taken, 
was  often  sung  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kitchingman  and  myself, 
while  passing  through  the  lonely  desert.  But  my  mind  was 
frequently  occupied  with  other  themes.  I  was  young,  had 
entered  into  a  new  and  responsible  situation,  and  one  sur- 
rounded with  difficulties  of  no  ordinary  character.  Already 
I  began  to  discover  some  indications  of  an  approaching 
storm,  which  might  try  my  faith.  The  future  looked  dark 
and  portentous  in  reference  to  the  mission.  My  inexperi- 
enced hand  trembled  to  touch  a  single  chord,  lest  it  should 
vibrate  in  sounds  still  more  discordant  than  those  which  fell 
on  my  ear  the  preceding  day ;  but  the  sure  word  of  promise 
was  my  stay,  and  I  was  enabled  to  adopt  the  language  of 
one  of  old,  "  In  the  multitude  of  my  thoughts  within  me,  thy 
comforts  delight  my  soul."  What  I  had  contemplated  was 
but  too  soon  realized.  The  general  a.spect  of  affairs  was  to 
me  any  thing  but  cheering.  Christian  Africaner  seemed 
cool  and  reserved  ;  and  on  Titus  Africaner,  his  brother,  com- 
ing to  the  station,  a  scene  ensued  which  raiade  me  tremble 
for  the  ark  of  God.  Titus,  whom  I  had  not  previously  seen, 
was  an  inveterate  enemy  of  missionaries ;  he,  with  others, 
came  and  stood  before  the  native  house  of  Mr.  Ebner,  load- 
ing him  with  the  most  abusive  epithets,  and  in  the  most  op- 
probrious language,  ordered  him  to  leave,  threatening  to  lay 
violent  hands  on  him.  The  whole  of  the  people  on  the 
station  were  gazing  on  this  scene,  to  me  distressing  in  the 
extreme.  Dreading  some  fearful  consequences,  I  begged  an 
interview  with  the  chief,  Christian  Africaner,  which  I  soon 
obtained,  and  entreated  him,  as  a  Christian  brother,  to  use 
his  influence  to  put  a  stop  to  proceedings  so  disorderly  and 
disgraceful  on  the  part  of  his  relative.  The  chief,  however, 
showed  the  greatest  aversion  to  take  any  part  in  the  busi- 
ness, and  I  could  only  obtain  his  promise  to  prevent  Titus 
from  assaulting  the  person  of  Mr.  Ebner.  I  then  went  to 
Mr.  E.,  to  induce  him  to  desist  from  disputing  with  a  man 
in  a  rage,  who  threatened  him  with  death.  I  addressed 
Titus,  begging  him  to  refer  the  case  to  the  chief,  to  which, 
in  a  calm  tone  of  voice,  he  replied,  "  I  hope  you  will  not  in- 
terfere." Though  I  could  not  understand  the  merits  of  the 
case,  I  sat  down  at  the  door  of  Mr.  Ebner' s  hut,  determined 
that  if  any  blows  were  given,  I  would  at  least  come  in  for  a 
share,  for  the  sake  of  the  wife  and  children.  Towards  even- 
ing a  calm  ensued,  but  it  was  a  gloomy  one,  especially  Avhen 
Mr.  E.  came  to  me  and  begged  of  me  to  take  upon  myself 
the  entire  charge  of  the  station,  as  he  had  resolved  never 


PROSPECTS   BRIGHTEN.  81 

more  to  address  them,  but  to  leave  the  country  entirely. 
Perceiving  him  greatly  excited  against  the  whole  people,  I 
earnestly  entreated  him  to  wait  and  deliberate  on  the  sub- 
ject calmly.  A  day  or  two  passed,  and  though  to  Mr.  E.'s 
great  relief  I  obtained  a  kind  of  promise  from  Titus,  that  he 
would  not  molest  him  again ;  his  determination  to  depart 
was  unalterable.  I  shall  never  forget  what  were  my  feel- 
ings when,  at  Mr.  E.'s  request,  I  had  to  go  among  the  peo- 
ple, and  beg  of  some  who  were  able  to  assist  him  to  remove 
with  his  wagon  and  goods  to  Warm  Bath,  whither  he  had 
received  an  invitation  from  the  chief  Bondlezwarts  to  la- 
bour.* Mr.  E.  feared  after  leaving  the  station,  Titus  and 
his  people  might  fall  upon  him,  as  it  was  rumoured  that,  but 
for  my  presence  he  would  have  done.  Here  I  was,  left 
alone  with  a  people  suspicious  in  the  extreme  ;  jealous  of 
their  rights,  which  they  had  obtained  at  the  point  of  the 
sword  ;  and  the  best  of"  whom  Mr.  E.  described  as  a  sharp 
thorn.  I  had  no  friend  and  brother  with  whom  I  could  par- 
ticipate in  the  communion  of  saints,  none  to  whom  I  could 
look  for  counsel  or  advice.  A  barren  and  miserable  country; 
a  small  salary,  about  25/,  per  annum.  No  grain,  and  conse- 
quently no  bread,  and  no  prospect  of  getting  any,  from  the 
want  of  water  to  cultivate  the  ground  ;  and  destitute  of  the 
means  of  sending  to  the  colony.  These  circumstances  led 
to  great  searchings  of  heart,  to  see  if  I  had  hitherto  aimed 
at  doing  and  suffering  the  will  of  Him  in  whose  service  I 
embarked.  Satisfied  that  I  had  not  run  unsent,  and  having 
in  the  intricate,  and  sometimes  obscure  course  I  had  come, 
heard  the  still  small  voice  saying,  "  This  is  the  way,  walk  ye 
in  it,"  I  was  wont  to  pour  out  my  soul  among  the  granite 
rocks  surrounding  this  station,  now  in  sorrow,  and  then  in 
joy  ;  and  more  than  once  I  took  my  violin,  once  belonging 
to  Christian  Albrecht,  and  reclining  upon  one  of  the  huge 
masses,  have,  in  the  stillness  of  the  evening,  played  and 
sung  the  well  known  hymn,  a  favourite  of  my  mother's, 

"  Awake,  my  soul,  in  joyful  lays, 
To  sing  the  great  Redeemer's  praise,"  &c. 

Soon  after  my  stated  services  commenced — which  were, 
according  to  the  custom  of  our  missionaries  at  that  period, 

*  Mr.  Ebner  remained  at  Warm  Bath  but  a  short  time ;  for  the  chief 
of  that  place,  not  obtaining  what  he  anticipated,  which  was  something 
other  than  the  gospel,  Mr.  L.  was  obliged  to  decamp,  return  to  the  colony, 
and  finally  went  to  Germany,  his  native  country. 


82  africat^er's  thirst  for  knowledge. 

every  morning  and  evening,  and  school  for  three  or  four 
hours  during  the  day — I  was  cheered  with  tokens  of  the 
Divine  presence.  The  chief,  who  had  for  some  time  past 
heen  in  a  doubtful  state,  attended  with  such  regularity,  that 
I  might  as  Avell  doubt  of  morning's  dawn,  as  of  his  attend- 
ance on  the  appointed  means  of  grace.  To  reading,  in 
which  he  was  not  very  fluent,  he  attended  with  all  the 
assiduity  and  energy  of  a  youthful  believer;  the  Testament 
became  his  constant  companion,  and  his  profiting  appeared 
unto  all.  Often  have  I  seen  him  under  the  shadow  of  a 
great  rock,  nearly  the  livelong  day,  eagerly  perusing  the 
pages  of  Divine  inspiration;  or  in  his  hut  he  would  sit, 
unconscious  of  the  affairs  of  a  family  around,  or  the  entrance 
of  a  stranger,  with  his  eye  gazing  on  the  blessed  book,  and 
his  mind  wrapt  up  in  things  divine.  Many  were  the  nights 
he  sat  with  me,  on  a  great  stone,  at  the  door  of  my  habita- 
tion, conversing  with  me  till  the  dawn  of  another  day,  on 
creation,  providence,  redemption,  and  the  glories  of  the 
heavenly  world.  He  was  like  the  bee,  gathering  honey 
from  every  flower,  and  at  such  seasons  he  would,  from  what 
he  had  stored  up  in  the  course  of  the  day's  reading,  repeat 
generally  in  the  very  language  of  Scripture,  those  passages 
which  he  could  not  fully  comprehend.  He  had  no  commen- 
tary, except  the  hving  voice  of  his  teacher,  nor  marginal 
references,  but  he  soon  discovered  the  importance  of  con- 
sulting parallel  passage.s,  which  an  excellent  memory  en- 
abled him  readily  to  find.  He  did  not  confine  his  expand- 
ing mind  to  the  volume  of  revelation,  though  he  had  been 
taught  by  experience,  that  that  contained  heights  and  depths 
and  lengths  and  breadths,  which  no  man  comprehends.  He 
was  led  to  look  upon  the  book  of  nature  ;  and  he  would 
regard  the  heavenly  orbs  with  an  inquiring  look,  cast  his 
eye  on  the  earth  beneath  his  tread,  and  regarding  both  as 
displays  of  creative  power  and  infinite  intelligence,  would 
inquire  about  endless  space  and  infinite  duration,  I  have 
often  been  amused,  when  sitting  with  him  and  others,  who 
wished  to  hear  his  questions  answered,  and  descriptions 
given  of  the  majesty,  extent,  and  number  of  the  works  of 
God ;  he  would  at  last  rub  his  hands  on  his  head,  exclaim- 
ing, "  I  have  heard  enough  ;  I  feel  as  if  my  head  was  too 
small,  and  as  if  it  would  swell  with  these  great  subjects." 

Before  seasons  like  these  to  which  I  am  referring,  Titus, 
who  was  a  grief  to  his  brother,  and  a  terror  to  most  of  the 
inhabitants  on  the  station,  as  well  as  a  fearful  example  of 
ungodliness,  had  become  greatly  subdued  in  spirit,     I  had 


QUARRELLING   WIVES.  83 

again  and  again  addressed  him  in  soft  and  afTectionate 
language,  on  his  best  interests,  till  he  at  last  entered  the 
house  of  God,  and  became  at  once  a  steady  and  unwavering 
friend,  and  many  times  did  he  minister  to  my  wants  in  that 
hungry  land.  He  too  would  not  unfrequently  sit  nearly  a 
whole  niglit  with  the  chief  and  myself,  in  comparative 
silence.  He  thought  his  doing  so  would  be  pleasing  to  me, 
but  he  would  never  make  a  profession.  He  was  wont  to 
say  his  head  had  become  too  hard  with  sin,  adding,  "  I  hear 
what  you  say,  and  I  think  I  sometimes  understand,  but  my 
heart  will  not  feel"  He  was  the  only  individual  of  influence 
on  the  station  who  had  two  wives,  and  fearing  the  influence 
of  example,  I  have  occasionally  made  a  delicate  reference 
to  the  subject,  and,  by  degrees,  coidd  make  more  direct 
remarks  on  that  point,  which  was  one  of  the  barriers  to  his 
happiness  ;  but  he  remained  firm,  admitting,  at  the  same 
time,  that  a  man  with  two  wives  was  not  to  be  envied  ; 
adding,  '•  He  is  often  in  an  uproar,  and  when  they  quarrel, 
he  does  not  know  whose  part  to  take."  He  said  he  often 
resolved  when  there  was  a  great  disturbance,  he  would  pay 
one  off^  One  morning  I  had  thought  the  anticipated  day 
had  come.  He  approached  my  door,  leading  an  ox,  upon 
which  one  of  his  wives  was  seated.  "  What  is  the  matter  ?" 
I  inquired.  Giving  me  a  shake  of  his  hand,  and  laugliing, 
he  replied,  "  Just  the  old  thing  over  again.  Mynheer  must 
not  laugh  too  much  at  me,  for  I  am  now  in  for  it."  The 
two  wives  had  quarrelled  at  the  outpost,  and  the  one  in  a 
rage  had  thrown  a  dry  rotten  stick  at  the  other,  which  had 
entered  the  palm  of  her  hand,  and  left  a  piece  about  an  inch 
long,  and  the  thickness  of  a  finger.  The  hand  had  swollen 
to  nearly  four  times  its  usual  size.  "  Why,"  I  asked,  "  did 
you  not  bring  her  sooner  ?"  "  She  was  afraid  to  see  you,  and 
would  not  come,  till  I  assured  her  that  you  were  a  maak 
mensche'^  (a  tame  man.)  Having  made  an  incision,  and 
extracted  the  piece  of  wood,  she  was  melted  into  tears  with 
gratitude,  while  I  earnestly  exhorted  her  to  a  better  course 
of  life. 

But  to  return  to  the  character  of  Africaner  ;  during  the 
whole  period  I  lived  there,  I  do  not  remember  having 
occasion  to  be  grieved  with  him,  or  to  complain  of  any  part 
of  his  conduct ;  his  very  faults  seemed  to  "  lean  to  virtue's 
side."  One  day,  when  seated  together,  I  happened,  in 
absence  of  mind,  to  be  gazing  stedfastly  on  liim.  It  arrested 
his  attention,  and  he  modestly  inquired  the  cause.  I  rephed, 
"  I  was  trying  to  picture  to  myself  your  carrying  fire  and 


84  AFRICANER   AND    CIVILIZATION. 

sword  through  the  country,  and  I  could  not  think  how  eyes 
like  yours  could  smile  at  human  woe."  He  answered  not, 
hut  shed  a  flood  of  tears!  He  zealously  seconded  my  efforts 
to  improve  the  people  in  cleanliness  and  industry  ;  and  it 
Avould  have  made  any  one  sinile  to  have  seen  Christian 
Africaner  and  myself  superintending  the  school  children, 
now  about  120,  washing  themselves  at  the  fountain.  It  was, 
however,  found  that  their  greasy,  filthy  carosses  of  sheep- 
skins soon  made  them  as  dirty  as  ever.  The  next  thing 
was  to  get  them  to  wash  their  mantles,  &lc.  This  was  no 
easy  matter,  from  their  being  made  chiefly  of  skins,  not 
tanned,  and  sewed  together  with  thread  made  of  the  sinews 
of  animals.  It  required  a  great  deal  of  coaxing  argument, 
and  perseverance,  to  induce  them  to  undertake  this  Hercu- 
lean task ;  but  this,  too,  was  also  accomplished,  to  their 
great  comfort,  for  they  willingly  admitted  that  they  formerly 
harboured  so  much  company,  that  they  could  not  sleep 
soundly.  It  may  be  emphatically  said  of  Africaner,  that 
'•  he  wept  with  those  that  wept,"  for  wherever  he  heard  of 
a  case  of  distress,  thither  his  sympathies  were  directed  ;  and 
notwithstanding  all  his  spoils  of  former  years,  he  had  little 
to  spare,  but  he  was  ever  on  the  alert  to  stretch  out  a  help- 
ing hand  to  the  widow  and  fatherless.  At  an  early  period 
I  also  became  an  object  of  his  charity,  for,  finding  out  that  I 
sometimes  sat  down  to  a  scanty  meal,  he  presented  me  with 
two  cows,  which,  though  in  that  country  giving  little  milk, 
often  saved  me  many  a  hungry  night,  to  which  I  was 
exposed.  He  was  a  man  of  peace;  and  though  I  could  not 
expound  to  him  that  the  "  sword  of  the  magistrate"  implied, 
that  he  was  calmly  to  sit  at  home,  and  see  Bushmen  or 
marauders  carry  ofi'  his  cattle,  and  slay  his  servants ;  yet  so 
fully  did  he  understand  and  appreciate  the  principles  of  the 
gospel  of  peace,  that  nothing  could  grieve  him  more  than  to 
hear  of  individuals,  or  villages,  contending  with  one  another. 
He  who  was  formerly  like  a  firebrand,  spreading  discord, 
enmity,  and  war  among  the  neighbouring  tribes,  would  now 
make  any  sacrifice  to  prevent  any  thing  like  a  collision  be- 
tween two  contending  parties  ;  and  when  he  might  have 
raised  his  arm,  and  dared  them  to  lift  a  spear,  or  draw  a 
bow,  he  would  stand  in  the  attitude  of  a  suppliant,  and  en- 
treat them  to  be  reconciled  to  each  other;  and,  pointing  to 
his  past  life,  ask,  "  What  have  I  now  of  all  the  battles  I 
have  fought,  and  all  the  cattle  I  took,  but  shame  and  re- 
morse?" At  an  early  period  of  my  labours  among  that 
people,  I  was  deeply  affected  by  the   sympathy  he,  as  well 


DAVID    AND    JACOBUS   AFRICANER.  85 

as  others  of  his  family,  manifested  towards  me  in  a  season 
of  affliction.  The  extreme  heat  of  the  weather,  in  the 
house  which  I  have  described,  and  hving  entirely  on  meat 
and  milk,  to  which  I  was  unaccustomed,  brought  on  a  se- 
vere attack  of  bilious  fever,  which,  in  the  course  of  two 
days,  induced  delirium.  Opening  my  eyes  in  the  first  few 
lucid  moments,  I  saw  my  attendant  and  Africaner  sitting 
before  my  couch,  gazing  on  me  with  eyes  full  of  sympathy 
and  tenderness.  Seeing  a  small  parcel,  containing  a  few 
medicines,  I  requested  him  to  hand  it  to  me,  and  taking 
from  it  a  vial  of  calomel,  I  threw  some  of  it  into  my  mouth, 
for  scales  or  weights  I  had  none.  He  then  asked  me,  the 
big  tear  standing  in  his  eye,  if  I  died,  how  they  were  to 
bury  me.  "  Just  in  the  same  way  as  you  bury  your  own 
people,"  was  my  reply ;  and  I  added,  that  he  need  be  under 
no  apprehensions  if  I  were  called  away,  for  I  should  leave 
a  written  testimony  of  his  kindness  to  me.  This  evidently 
gave  him  some  comfort,  but  his  joy  was  full,  when  he  saw 
me  speedily  restored,  and  at  my  post,  from  which  I  had  been 
absent  only  a  few  days. 

In  addition  to  Christian  Africaner,  his  brothers,  David  and 
Jacobus,  both  believers,  and  zealous  assistants  in  the  work 
of  the  mission,  especially  in  the  school,  were  a  great  com- 
fort to  me.  David,  though  rather  of  a  retiring  disposition, 
was  amiable,  active,  and  firm  ;  while  Jacobus  was  warm, 
affectionate,  and  zealous  for  the  interests  of  souls.  His  very 
countenance  was  wont  to  cheer  my  spirits,  which,  notwith- 
standing all  I  had  to  encourage,  would  sometimes  droop. 
Long  after  I  left  that  people,  he  was  shot,  while  defending 
the  place  against  an  unexpected  attack  made  on  it  by  the 
people  of  Warm  Bath.  This  intelligence  deeply  affected 
me,  for  I  knew  that  he  and  David,  with  a  select  few,  con- 
tinued in  accordance  with  the  dying  charge  of  their  elder 
brother,  to  keep  the  lamp  of  God  alive  ;  while  Jonker,  the 
son  and  successor  of  the  departed  chief,  turned  to  those 
courses  from  which  he  had  been  warned  by  the  last  accents 
which  fell  from  his  father's  lips,  though  he  had  been  a  prom- 
ising youth,  without  having  made  any  profession  of  faith  in 
the  Gospel.  The  following  fact  will  serve  to  illustrate  the 
character  of  Kobus,  as  he  was  usually  called.  The  drought 
was  excessive  ;  the  people  were  distressed  at  the  idea  of  be- 
ing compelled  to  leave  the  station  in  search  of  grass.  Spe- 
cial prayer-meetings  were  held  to  implore  the  blessing  of 
rain.  Prayer  was  soon  answered,  and  the  heavens,  which 
had  been  as  brass,  were  covered  with  clouds,  the  thunders 

8 


86  DYING    SCENE. 

rolled,  and  rain  fell  like  a  torrent.  The  display  of  Divine 
condescension  produced  a  powerful  effect  on  the  minds  of 
the  people,  and  many  were  the  eyes  that  wept  tears  of  grat- 
itude. I  went  out  of  my  hut,  where  I  had  been  nearly 
blinded  by  the  vivid  glare  of  the  lightning,  and  witnessed 
Kobus  comforting  his  wife,  who  was  not  a  believer,  while 
she  seemed  terror-struck  at  the  tremendous  peals  which  even 
yet  were  rending  the  heavens,  and  making  the  very  earth  to 
tremble  beneath.  He  asked  her  how  she  could  be  afraid  of 
a  God  so  kind,  and  who  could  send  down  the  rain  of  his 
grace,  with  equal  abundancte,  on  dry  and  parched  soids  ; 
and,  falling  on  his  knees,  he  adored  God  for  the  blessings  of 
salvation.  At  this  time,  another  interesting  event  greatly 
encouraged  me.  The  subject  was  a  venerable  mother,  a 
member  of  the  church,  and  one  of  the  fruits  of  Mr.  Ander- 
son's labours,  when  on  the  Orange  River.  Entering  her 
hut,  and  asking  her  how  she  felt,  looking  upwards  with  an 
expression  of  sweet  composure,  "  I  am  looking  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord  Jesus,"  was  her  reply.  Observing  me  ad- 
dressing her  unbelieving  daughters,  who  were  weeping 
around  her  bed,  she  remarked,  "  Yes,  I  have  called  them, 
that  they  may  see  a  Christian  die  :"  and  a  few  hours  after, 
she  was  called  to  the  bosom  of  her  God. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


The  state  of  the  people,  and  the  impossibility  of  the  spot 
on  which  we  lived  becoming  a  permanent  missionary  station, 
— for,  instead  of  its  being  a  Jerusalem,  as  Mr.  Ebner  called 
it,  it  might,  from  its  general  character,  be  compared  to  the 
mountains  of  Gilboa,  on  which  neitheir  rain  nor  dew  was  to 
fall, — gave  rise  to  much  inquiry  respecting  a  locality  more 
suitable.  It  was  accordingly  resolved  to  take  a  journey  to 
the  north,  and  examine  a  country  on  the  borders  of  Damara- 
land,  where  it  was  reported  fountains  of  water  abounded ; 
but  I  had  only  one  wagon,  and  that  was  a  cripple.  We  had 
neither  carpenters  nor  smiths  on  the  station,  and  I  was  un- 
acquainted with  these  trades  myself     The  Orange  River 


BELLOWS-MAKING.  87 

was  impassable ;  and  even  had  it  been  fordable,  the  wagon 
was  incapable  of  being  conveyed  to  Pella,  where  it  might 
be  repaired.  After  ruminating  for  a  day  or  two  on  what  I 
had  seen  in  smiths'  shops  in  Cape  Town,  I  resolved  on  mak- 
ing a  trial,  and  got  a  native  bellows,  made  of  goat's  skin,  to 
the  neck  end  of  which  was  attached  the  horn  of  an  elk,  and 
at  the  other  end  two  parallel  sticks  were  fastened,  which 
were  opened  by  the  hand  in  drawing  it  back,  and  closed  when 
pressed  forward,  but  making  a  puffing  like  something  broken- 
winded.  The  iron  was  only  red-hot,  after  a  good  perspira- 
tion, when  I  found  I  must  give  it  up  as  a  bad  job;  observing 
to  the  chief,  if  I  must  accompany  him,  it  nmst  be  on  the 
back  of  an  ox.  Reflecting  again  on  the  importance  of  hav 
ing  a  wagon  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  food,  when  game 
happened  to  be  killed,  (ior  our  sole  dependence  was  on  the 
success  of  hunting,)  and  Africaner  evidently  not  liking,  on 
my  account,  to  go  without  a  wagon,  I  set  my  brains  again  to 
work,  to  try  and  improve  on  the  belloM^s  ;  for  it  was  wind  I 
wanted.  Though  I  had  never  welded  a  bit  of  iron  in  ray 
life,  there  was  nothing  like  "  Try."  I  engaged  the  chief  to 
have  two  goats  killed,  the  largest  on  the  station,  and  their 
skins  prepared,  entire,  in  the  native  way,  till  they  were  as  soft 
as  cloth.  These  skins  now  resembled  bags,  the  open  ends 
of  which  I  nailed  to  the  edge  of  a  circular  piece  of  board,  in 
which  was  a  valve  ;  one  end  of  the  machine  was  connected 
with  the  fire,  and  had  a  weight  on  it  to  force  out  the  Avind, 
when  the  other  end  was  drawn  out  to  supply  more  air.  This 
apparatus  was  no  sooner  completed,  than  it  was  put  to  the 
test,  and  the  result  answered  satisfactorily,  in  a  steady  current 
of  air  ;  and  soon  I  had  all  the  people  around  me,  to  witness 
my  operations  with  the  new-fangled  bellows.  Here  I  sat, 
receiving  their  praises,  but  heartily  wishing  their  departure, 
lest  they  should  laugh  at  my  burning  the  first  bit  of  iron  I 
took  in  my  hands  to  weld.  A  blue  granite  stone  was  my 
anvil ;  a  clumsy  pair  of  tongs,  indicative  of  Vulcan's  first  el- 
forts  ;  and  a  hammer  never  intended  for  the  work  of  a  forge. 
My  first  essay  was  with  some  trepidation,  for  I  did  not  like 
so  many  lookers-on.  Success,  however,  crowned  my  efforts, 
to  the  no  small  delight  of  the  spectators.  Having  finished 
what  was  necessary  for  the  wagon,  I  was  encouraged  to  at- 
tempt the  repair  of  some  gun-locks,  which  were  as  essential 
for  the  comfort  and  success  of  the  journey  as  the  wagon  In 
doing  this,  I  began  with  one  which  I  thought  I  could  not 
spoil,  should  I  not  succeed ;  and  accomplishing  that,  I  was 
able  to  put  the  others  in  order.     But  in  doing  this,  I  had,  for 


88  GEOLOGICAL    OBSERVATION. 

the  want  of  steel,  to  sacrifice  two  of  my  files,  which,  in  my 
isolated  situation,  was  a  sacrifice  indeed.  Every  thing  be- 
ing in  readiness,  we  started,  with  thirty  men,  leaving  Jaco- 
bus in  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the  station,  and  of  the  people, 
— the  majority  of  whom  were  females,  the  men  having  re- 
moved to  a  distance  on  account  of  their  cattle.  On  my  ob- 
jecting to  the  formidable  appearance  of  so  large  a  party, 
which  included  Titus,  and  other  brothers,  as  well  as  Africa- 
ner himself,  Jacobus  remarked,  "  I  am  concerned  for  your 
safety;  and  a  large  party  will  have  the  tendency  of  prevent- 
ing any  thing  like  an  attack  being  made,  more  than  if  it  were 
small,  as  you  desire."  In  this  I  found  afterwards  he  was 
perfectly  right.  I  shall  not  trouble  the  reader  with  the  mo- 
notonous detail  of  an  African  journey, — daily  inyoking  and 
unyoking,  sand  here,  and  stones  there,  and  dreary  plains  fol- 
lowing. I  shall  confine  myself  to  some  of  the  most  striking 
incidents. — The  country  over  which  we  passed  was  sterile  in 
the  extreme,  sandy  from  the  abundance  of  granite.  Iron- 
stone was  also  to  be  found,  and  occasionally  indications  of 
copper.  Slaty  formations  were  also  to  be  met  with,  and 
much  quartz,  filling  up  large  fissures  occasioned  by  former 
convulsion-s,  and  the  hills  in  some  places  presenting  a  iTiass 
of  confusion  ;  the  strata  bending  and  dipping  from  the  per- 
pendicular to  the  horizontal,  and  in  others  extending  in  a 
straight  line  from  one  hill  to  another.  Native  iron,  in  a 
very  pure  state,  is  procured  in  these  regions;  and,  from  the 
account  given  by  the  natives,  I  should  suppose  some  of  it  is 
meteoric.  ^ 

The  plains  are  invariably  sandy,  and  there  are  even  hills 
of  pure  sand.  I  also  found,  near  some  of  the  mountains, 
large  pieces  of  trees  in  a  fossil  state.  Zebras  abounded,  and 
wild  asses,  though  less  numerous  than  the  former.  Giraffes 
were  frequently  met  with,  sometimes  thirty  or  forty  together. 
Elks,  koodoos,  and  the  smaller  species  of  antelopes,  were 
also  in  great  numbers.  The  rhinoceros  (the  kenengyane,  or 
black  chukuru  of  the  Bechuanas)  is  also  to  be  found,  but 
scarce.  Buffaloes  had  nearly  disappeared,  at  least  in  the 
region  I  visited.  We  had  a  tolerable  supply,  chiefly  of  the 
flesh  of  zebras  and  giraffes  :  the  latter,  when  fat,  was  pre- 
ferred, though  nothing  came  amiss  to  hungry  travellers. 
When  one  of  the  larger  animals  was  shot,  we  generally  re- 
mained a  day  to  cut  the  meat  up  into  thin  pieces,  which, 
spread  on  the  bushes,  soon  dried.  The  best  parts  were 
always  eaten  first ;  and  when  pressed  with  hunger,  recourse 
was  had  to  the  leaner  portions,  which  had  been  stowed  away 


POISONOUS   HONEY,  89 

in  the  wagon ;  and  to  make  it  palatable  (for  it  much  resem- 
bles a  piece  of  sole  leather)  it  was  necessary  to  put  it  under 
the  hot  ashes,  and  then  beat  it  between  two  stones  till  the 
fibres  were  loosened;  and  then  it  required  hard  chewing  to 
masticate  :  and  many  a  time  have  I  risen  from  a  meal,  with 
my  jaw-bone  so  sore,  I  felt  no  inclination  to  speak.  Meat 
prepared  in  this  way,  or  fresh,  with  a  draught  of  water,  was 
our  usual  fare.  I  had  a  small  quantity  of  coffee  with  me, 
which,  as  long  as  it  lasted,  I  found  very  refreshing.  Some 
may  think  that  this  mode  of  life  was  a  great  sacrifice  ;  but 
habit  makes  it  much  less  so  than  they  suppose.  It  is  true,  I 
did  feel  it  a  sacrifice  to  have  nothing  at  all  to  eat,  and  to 
bind  the  stomach  with  a  thong  to  prevent  the  gnawing  of 
hunger ;  and  thus,  under  these  circumstances,  to  break  the 
bread  of  eternal  life  to  the  perishing  heathen.  Water  was 
in  general  very  scarce  ;  sometimes  in  small  pools,  stagnant, 
and  with  a  green  froth  ;  and  more  than  once  we  had  to  dis- 
pute with  lions  the  possession  of  a  pool.  One  day  our  guide 
(for  it  was  a  country  without  roads)  led  us  towards  a  ravine 
which  presented  an  animating  appearance,  from  the  sides 
of  the  hills  being  covered  with  a  lovely  green  ;  but,  on  our 
reaching  them,  scarcely  anything  was  to  be  seen  but  a  spe- 
cies of  euphorbia,  useless  either  to  man  or  beast,  and  through 
which  we  with  difficulty  made  our  way.  Being  hot,  and 
the  oxen  worn  out,  we  halted  ;  and  some  of  the  men  having 
been  successful  in  finding  honey  in  the  fissures  of  the  rocks, 
we  ate  with  no  little  relish,  thinking  ourselves  fortunate,  for 
food  was  scarce.  Shortly  after  an  individual  complained 
that  his  throat  was  becoming  very  hot;  then  a  second,  and 
a  third,  till  all  who  had  eaten  felt  as  if  their  throats  were  on 
fire.  A  native  coming  up,  and  seeing  our  hands  and  faces 
besmeared  with  honey,  with  the  greatest  simplicity  said, 
"  You  had  better  not  eat  the  honey  of  this  vale  ;  do  you  not 
see  the  poison  bushes,  (euphorbia.)  from  the  flowers  of  which 
the  bees  extract  the  honey,  and  the  poison  too?"  Every  one 
had  recourse  to  the  little  water  that  remained  in  the  vessels, 
for  the  inward  heat  was  terrible  ;  and  the  water,  in.stead  of 
allaying,  only  increased  the  pain.  No  serious  consequences 
followed ;  but  it  was  several  days  before  we  got  rid  of  a 
mo.?t  unpleasant  sensation  in  the  head  as  well  as  the  throat. 
We  occasionly  met  with  a  Namaque  village,  where  we 
always  remained  a  day  or  two,  in  order  to  give  the  inhabitants 
the  benefit  (to  many  i'or  the  first  time)  of  hearing  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel.  Their  ignorance,  though  to  a  calm  reasoner 
on  the  subject,  not  to  be  wondered  at,  was  distressing  in  the 

8* 


90 


IGNORANCE    OF   THE   NATIVES. 


extreme,  and  perfectly  confounding  to  my  preconceived 
notions  about  innate  and  intuitive  ideas,  and  what  some  term 
natural  light.  I  was  determined  not  to  be  driven  from  the 
sentiments  entertained  by  a  vast  majority  of  the  respected 
advocates  of  religion  in  my  native  land  of  light, — sentiments, 
which  I  preferred  even  to  those  of  the  late  venerable  Roby, 
of  Manchester,  at  whose  feet  I  sat  for  a  short  season.  I  had 
with  me  one  of  the  best  of  interpreters,  himself  a  child  of  God, 
and  I  tried  one  native  after  another,  to  make  my  own  point 
good.  Sometimes  I  would  even  put  words  into  the  mouth  of 
Africaner,  and  ask,  "  Does  he  not  mean  so  and  so  ?"  In  some 
there  was  a  glimmering  of  light;  but  again  I  found,  to  my 
mortification,  that  this  had  been  received  from  the  "  hat- 
wearers,"  as  they  called  the  people  from  the  south,  or  from 
Mr.  Schmelen's  station  at  Bethany,  whom  they  denominated, 
"  the  people  that  talked  about  God."  By  visiters  to  Warm 
Bath,  the  instructions  of  the  Albrechts  had  extended  far,  till 
they  melted  away  in  the  obscurity  of  heathen  gloom.  I 
have  often  had  to  labour  for  hours  before  I  could  make  them 
understand  what  I  meant  or  wished  to  know.  It  would  be 
more  amusing  and  ludicrous,  than  instructive,  to  give  the 
result  of  all  my  enquiries  ;  and  perhaps  I  cannot  do  better 
that  to  repeat  the  substance  of  a  conversation  between  our 
missionary,  Mr.  Schmelen,  and  a  native,  on  this  subject. 
Mr.  S.  had  at  that  time  better  opportunities  than  any  other 
man  of  becoming  acquainted  with  the  views  of  the  Namaquas 
in  their  native  state  ;  and  it  M^ould  appear  from  his  journal, 
whence  the  following  extract  is  taken,  that  he  spared  no 
pains  to  elicit  their  ideas. 

In  his  journal  of  the  23rd  of  May,  1815,  which  the  author 
has  seen  since  his  return  to  England,  Mr.  S.  Avrites  thus: — 
"  Addressing  a  Namaqua,  I  asked.  Did  you  ever  hear  of  a 
God?"  "  Yes,  we  have  heard  that  there  is  a  God,  but  we 
do  not  know  right."  "  Who  told  you  that  there  is  a  God?" 
"  We  heard  it  from  other  people."  "  Who  made  the  sea?" 
"  A  girl  made  it  on  her  coming  to  maturity,  when  she  had 
several  children  at  once  :  when  she  made  it,  the  sweet  and 
bitter  waters  were  separated.  One  day  she  sent  some  of  her 
children  to  fetch  sweet  water,  while  the  others  were  in  the 
fields,  but  the  children  were  obstinate,  and  would  not  fetch 
the  water,  upon  wliich  she  got  angry,  and  mixed  the  sweet 
and  bitter  water  together ;  from  that  day  we  are  no  longer 
able  to  drink  the  water,  but  people  have  learned  to  swim 
and  run  upon  the  water."  "Did  you  ever  see  a  ship?" 
"  Yes,  we  have  seen  them  a  long  time  ago."     "  Did  you  ever 


MR.  schmelen's  journal.  91 

hear  who  made  the  first  one  ?"  "  No,  we  never  heard  it." 
"  Did  you  never  hear  old  people  talk  about  it?"  "  No,  we 
never  heard  it  from  them."  "  Who  made  the  heavens  T' 
"  We  do  not  know  what  man  made  them."  "  Who  made 
the  sun?"  "  We  always  heard  that  those  people  at  the  sea 
made  it ;  when  she  goes  down,  they  cut  her  in  pieces,  and 
fry  her  in  a  pot,  and  then  put  her  together  again,  and  bring 
her  out  at  the  other  side.  Sometimes  the  sun  is  over  our 
head,  and  at  other  times  she  must  give  place  for  the  moon 
to  pass  by.  They  said  the  moon  had  told  to  mankind  that 
we  must  die,  and  not  become  alive  again  ;  that  is  the  reason 
that  when  the  moon  is  dark  we  sometimes  become  ill."  "  Is 
there  any  difference  between  man  and  beast?  "We  think 
man  has  made  the  beasts."  "  Did  you  ever  see  a  man  that 
made  beasts?"  "  No,  I  only  heard  so  from  others."  "  Do 
you  know  you  have  a  soul?"  "  I  do  not  know  it."  '•  How 
shall  it  be  with  us  after  death?"  "  When  we  are  dead,  we 
are  dead  ;  when  we  have  died,  we  go  over  the  sea-water,  at 
that  side  where  the  devil  is."  "  What  do  you  mean  by  the 
devil?"'  "  He  is  not  good;  all  people  who  die,  run  to  him." 
"  How  does  the  devil  behave  to  them,  well  or  ill?"  "  You 
shall  see  ;  all  our  people  are  there  who  have  died  (in  the 
ships.)*  Those  people  in  the  ships  are  masters  over  them." 
In  the  same  Journal,  the  7th  of  July,  Mr.  S.  has  the  follow- 
ing : — "  After  service  I  spent  some  time  conversing  with 
some  of  the  aged,  but  found  them  extremely  ignorant ;  some 
of  them  could  not  conceive  of  a  being  higher  than  man, 
and  had  not  the  least  idea  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul. 
They  intimated  that  their  chief  had  been  to  some  station 
to  get  instructions,  and  they  hoped  to  hear  more  on  these 
subjects  from  him."  "  I  preached,"  says  Mr.  S.,  "  from  Rom. 
V.  18;"  a  text  admirably  adapted  for  people  in  such  gross 
darkness. 

Mr.  Campbell,  in  his  little  tract  of  the  "  Life  of  Africa- 
ner," state.s,  "  Being  asked  what  his  views  of  God  were  be- 
fore he  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  Christian  instruction,  his  reply 
was,  that  he  never  thought  any  thing  at  all  on  these  subjects  ; 
that  he  thought  about  nothing  but  his  catUe.  He  admitted 
that  he  had  heard  of  a  God,  (well  might  he,  being  brought 
up  in  the  colony,)  but  he  at  the  same  time  stated  that  his 
views  of  God  were  so  erroneous,  that  the  name  suggested 
no  more  to  his  mind  than  something  that  miafht  be  found  in 

*  Has  not  this  a  reference  to  men-stealers,  who  visited  that  coast'?  If 
so,  it  appears  the  natives  never  knew  any  thincr  about  the  tlevil  till  tiiey 
knew  slave-dealers,  or  at  least  they  considered  them  his  emissaries. 


92  MISTAKES    OF   TRAVELLERS. 

the  form  of  an  insect,  or  in  the  hd  of  a  snnff-box."  This  was 
the  testimony  of  one  who  had  passed  from  darkness  to  the 
light  of  the  Gospel,  a  testimony,  the  writer  more  than  once 
heard  from  his  own  lips.  Ignorant  as  the  Namaquas  were, 
I  cannot  go  to  the  lengths  of  a  traveller  in  that  country,  who, 
after  being  anxious  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  knowledge 
among  the  tribe  with  which  he  then  dwelt,  a  tribe  too  which 
had  long  enjoyed  the  instructions  of  missionaries,  and  among 
which  a  missionary  is  still  labouring  with  success,  makes  the 
following  remarks  : — "  I  must  say  they  positively  know  no- 
thing beyond  tracking  game,  and  breaking-in  pack-oxen. 
They  did  not  know  one  year  from  another ;  they  only  knew 
that  at  certain  times  the  trees  and  flowers  bloom,  and  that 
the  rain  may  be  expected.  As  to  their  own  age  they  knew 
no  more  what  it  was  than  idiots.  Some  even  had  no  names  ; 
of  numbers,  of  course,  they  were  quite  ignorant;  few  could 
count  above  five  ;  and  he  was  a  clever  fellow  who  could  tell 
his  fingers.  Above  all,  they  had  not  the  least  idea  of  a  God 
or  a  future  state.  They  were  literally  like  the  beasts  which 
perish."  The  above  dismal  picture  of  human  degradation 
is,  as  is  stated,  the  result  of  anxious  inquiry  on  the  subject ; 
and  that  too  at  a  missionary  station  where  the  best  facilities 
can  be  had  for  correct  interpretation.  I  presume  the  respect- 
able writer  would  feel  not  a  little  ofiended  if  his  veracity 
were  called  in  question,  or  even  his  want  of  research  in  those 
regions.  Be  that  as  it  may,  I  must  entirely  differ  from  him 
on  one  point,  if  not  in  more,  in  his  statement.  I  have  dwelt 
much  with  the  Namaquas,  as  well  as  among  the  people  re- 
ferred to,  but  I  never  knew  a  man  who  had  not  a  name ;  and 
I  have  sat,  and  been  taught  by  many  infant  lips  to  count 
more  than  ten,  even  when  no  missionary  had  laboured 
amongst  them.  It  is,  however,  but  just  to  remark,  that  it 
must  be  to  a  resident,  not  a  swallow  visitor  that  we  must  look 
for  correct  information  on  subjects  abstract  in  their  nature, 
I  speak  from  experience  when  I  say,  that  on  some  points 
travellers  are  very  liable  to  be  led  astray.  For  instance,  I 
once,  while  writing,  heard  a  traveller  ask  his  guide  the  name 
of  the  last  halting  place  they  had  passed.  The  guide,  not 
understanding,  replied,  "  Ua  reng,"  which  the  traveller,  with 
all  simplicity,  was  placing  in  his  log  book;  when,  interrupt- 
ing him,  I  said,  "  What  are  you  writing  ?  that  is  not  a  name  : 
he  merely  asks  you  what  you  say."  Accidents  like  the  above 
frequently  give  rise  to  wrong  names  being  applied  to  places  ; 
in  another  instance,  "  mountains  "  was  the  reply,  instead  of 
the  name  of  the  mountain.     And  in  reference  to  points  of 


SUPPOSED    TRADITION    OF   DELUGE.  93 

faith,  or  extent  of  knowledge,  the  traveller  may  be  com- 
pletely duped,  as  I  was  in  the  present  journey.  At  an  iso- 
lated village,  far  in  the  wilds  of  Namaqua-land,  I  met  an 
individual,  who  appeared  somewhat  more  intelligent  than 
the  rest;  to  him  I  put  a  number  of  questions,  to  ascertain  if 
there  were  any  tradition  in  the  country  respecting  the  deluge, 
of  which  vestiges  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  part  of  the 
known  world.  I  had  made  many  inquiries  before,  but  all  to 
no  purpose.  Discovering  that  he  possessed  some  knowledge 
on  the  subject,  and  being  an  utter  stranger  to  any  of  the 
party,  and  to  all  appearance  a  child  of  the  desert,  I  very 
promptly  took  my  pen  and  wrote,  thinking  myself  a  lucky 
discoverer.  I  w^as  perfectly  astonished  at  some  of  his  first 
sentences,  and,  afraid  lest  I  should  lose  one  word,  I  appointed 
two  interpreters :  but  by  the  time  I  reached  the  end  of  the 
story,  I  began  to  suspect.  It  bore  the  impress  of  the  Bible. 
On  questioning  him  as  to  the  source  of  his  information,  he 
positively  asserted  that  he  had  received  it  from  his  forefa- 
thers, and  that  he  never  saw  or  heard  of  a  missionary.  I 
secretly  instituted  inquiries  into  his  history,  but  could  elicit 
nothing.  I  folded  up  my  paper,  and  put  it  into  my  desk, 
very  much  puzzled,  and  resolving  to  leave  the  statement  to 
wiser  heads  than  mine.  On  our  return,  this  man  accompa- 
nied us  some  days  southward,  towards  the  Karas  mountains, 
when  we  halted  at  a  village  ;  and  meeting  a  person  who  had 
been  at  Bethany,  Mr.  Schmelen's  station,  lying  north  west 
of  us,  I  begged  him  to  guide  us  thither,  as  I  was  anxious  to 
visit  the  place.  He  could  not,  being  worn  out  with  the  jour- 
ney ;  but  pointing  to  the  deluge  narrator,  he  said,  "  There  is 
a  man  that  knows  the  road  to  Bethany,  for  I  have  seen  him 
there."  The  mystery  of  the  tradition  was  in  a  moment  un- 
ravelled, and  the  man  decamped,  on  my  seeing  that  the  fore- 
father  who  told  him  the  story,  was  our  missionary  Schme- 
len.  Stories  of  a  similar  kind  originally  obtained  at  a  mis- 
sionaiy  station,  or  from  some  godly  traveller,  get,  in  course 
of  time,  so  mixed  up  and  metamorphosed  by  heathen  ideas, 
that  they  look  exceedingly  like  native  traditions.  Leaving 
this  subject  for  the  present,  we  will  return  to  the  results  of 
the  journey.  Having  reached  some  of  the  branches  of  the 
Fish  River,  where  we  found  water  by  digging  like  the  na- 
tives, we  were  brought  to  a  stand.  The  wild  Namaquas,  as 
they  are  called,  were  jealous  of  the  object  of  our  visit.  They 
knew  of  the  fame  of  Africaner,  and  were  apprized  of  his 
object,  as  well  as  that  of  the  missionary  ;  but  they  had  in 
earlier  times  received   such  impressions  of  "  hat-wearers," 


94  RETTUN   HOMEWARD. 

that  they  were  determined  either  to  oppose  our  proceeding, 
or  flee.  Here  we  remained  some  days,  and  notwithstanding 
their  suspicions,  we  got  the  people  to  Hsten  with  great  atten- 
tion to  the  message  of  the  Gospel.  We  also  met  with  one 
of  their  sorcerers,  who,  the  night  before,  had  made  the  in- 
habitants beheve  that  he  had  entered  into  a  lion  that  came 
to  the  \-illage  and  killed  the  cattle,  creating  an  uproar  which 
lasted  till  the  morning  dawai.  I  coaxed  him  into  a  conver- 
sation with  a  piece  of  tobacco,  and  inquired  about  his  re- 
ported powers,  to  which  he  readily  replied ;  but  when  I 
wished  to  put  them  to  the  test,  he  declined.  I  then  request- 
ed him  to  try  his  hand  on  me ;  this  he  also  declined,  adding, 
that  I  was  a  white  sorcerer  myself,  from  the  strange  doc- 
trines I  taught.  Africaner  proposed  to  return,  rather  than 
lun  the  risk  of  shedding  blood ;  in  which  he  was  confirmed 
by  the  arrival  of  a  relative  from  the  north,  who  gave  a  sorry 
account  of  the  country. 


CHAPTER   X. 


On  our  route  homeward  we  halted  at  a  spot  where  a  novel 
scene  once  occurred,  and  which  was  described  by  an  indi- 
vidual who  witnessed  it  when  a  boy.  Near  a  very  small 
fountain,  wliich  was  shewn  to  me,  stood  a  camel  thorn-tree, 
[Acacia  Giraffe.)  It  was  a  stiff  tree,  about  twelve  feet 
high,  with  a  flat,  bushy  top.  Many  years  ago,  the  relater, 
then  a  boy,  was  returning  to  his  village,  and  having  turned 
aside  to  the  fountain  for  a  drink,  lay  down  on  the  bank,  and 
fell  asleep.  Being  awoke  by  the  piercing  rays  of  the  sun, 
he  saw,  through  the  bush  behind  which  he  lay,  a  giraffe 
browsing  at  ease  on  the  tender  shoots  of  the  tree,  and,  to  his 
horror,  a  lion,  creeping  like  a  cat,  only  a  dozen  yards  from 
him.  preparing  to  pounce  on  his  prey.  The  lion  eyed  the 
giraffe  for  a  few  moments,  his  body  gave  a  shake,  and  he 
bounded  into  the  air,  to  seize  the  head  of  the  animal,  which 
instantly  turned  his  stately  neck,  and  the  lion,  missing  his 
grasp,  fell  on  his  back  in  the  centre  of  the  mass  of  thorns, 
like  spikes,  and  the  giraffe  bounded  over  the  plain.     The 


THE    LION    AND    GIRAFFE.  95 

boy  instantly  followed  the  example,  expecting,  as  a  matter 
of"  course,  that  the  enraged  lion  would  soon  find  his  way  to 
the  earth.  Some  time  afterwards,  the  people  of  the  village, 
^^•ilo  seldom  visited  that  spot,  saw  the  eagles  hovering  in  the 
air ;  and  as  it  is  alm^ost  always  a  certain  sign  that  the  lion 
has  killed  game,  or  some  animal  is  lying  dead,  they  went  to 
the  place,  and  sought  in  vain  till,  coming  under  the  lee  of 
the  tree,  their  olfactor}'  nerves  directed  them  to  where  the 
lion  lay  dead  in  his  thorny  bed.  I  still  found  some  of  his 
bones  under  the  tree,  and  hair  on  its  branches,  to  convince 
me  of  what  I  scarcely  could  have  credited. 

The  hon  will  sometimes  manage  to  mount  the  back  of  a 
giraffe,  and,  fixing  his  sharp  claws  into  each  shoulder,  gnaw 
away  till  he  reaches  the  vertebrae  of  the  neck,  when  both 
fall  ;  and  ofttimes  the  lion  is  lamed  for  his  trouble.  If  the 
giraffe  happens  to  be  very  strong,  he  succeeds  in  bringing  his 
rider  to  the  ground.  Among  those  that  we  shot  on  our  jour- 
ney, the  healed  wounds  of  the  lion's  claws  on  the  shoulder, 
and  marks  of  his  teeth  on  the  back  of  the  neck,  gave  us  oc- 
ular demonstration  that  two  of  them  had  carried  the  mon- 
arch of  the  forest  on  their  backs,  and  yet  come  off  triumphant. 
When  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  occasionally  with  the 
late  Mr.  Pringle  in  Cape  Town,  and  mentioned  some  of 
these  facts,  his  poetical  genius  instantly  caught  the  image, 
and  threw  the  picture  into  the  folloA\Tng  graphic  hnes,  which 
may  not  be  unacceptable  to  those  who  have  never  seen 
Pringle' s  African  Poems, 

"  Wouldst  thou  \-iew  the  lion's  denl 
Search  afar  from  haunts  of  men — 
Where  the  reed-encircled  rill 
Oozes  from  the  rocky  hill, 
By  its  verdure  far  descried 
'Mid  the  desert  brown  and  wide. 

Close  beside  the  sed^y  brim 
Couchant  lurks  the  lion  grim  ; 
Watching  till  the  close  of  day 
Brings  the  death-devoted  prey. 
Heedles?,  at  the  ambush'd  brink, 
The  tall  giraffe  stoops  down  to  drink  : 
Upon  him  straight  the  savage  springs 
With  cruel  joy.     The  desert  rings 
With  clanging  sound  of  desp'rate  strife — 
The  prey  is  strong,  and  strives  for  life. 
Plunging  oft  with  frantic  bound, 
To  shake  the  tyrant  to  the  ground — 
He  shrieks — he  rushes  through  the  waste 
.  With  glaring  eye  and  headlong  haste. 


96  TERROR    OF   OXEN    AT   A    LION. 

In  vain ! — the  spoiler  on  his  prize 
Rides  proudly — tearing  as  he  flies. 

For  life — the  victim's  utmost  speed 

Is  muster'd  in  this  hour  of  need: 

For  life — for  life — his  giant  might 

He  strains,  and  pours  his  soul  in  flight; 

And.  mad  with  terror,  thirst,  and  pain, 

Spurns  with  wild  hoof  the  thundering  plain. 

'Tis  vain ;  the  thirsty  sands  are  drinking 

His  streaming  blood — his  strength  is  sinking; 

The  victor's  fangs  are  in  his  veins — 

His  flanks  are  streaked  with  sanguin'd  strains — 

His  panting  breast  in  foam  and  gore 

Is  bathed — he  reels — his  race  is  o'er: 

He  falls — and,  with  convulsive  throe, 

Resigns  his  throat  to  th'  ravening  foe  ! 

— And  lo  !  ere  quivering  life  has  fled, 

The  vultures,  wheeling  overhead, 

Swoop  down,  to  watch,  in  gaunt  array, 

Till  the  gorged  tyrant  quits  his  prey." 

We  were  often  exposed  to  danger  from  lions,  whicli,  from 
the  scarcity  of  water,  frequent  the  pools  or  fountains,  and 
some  of  our  number  had  some  hair-breadth  escapes.  One 
night  we  were  quietly  bivouacked  at  a  small  pool  on  the 
'Oup  River,  where  we  never  anticipated  a  visit  from  his 
majesty.  We  had  just  closed  our  united  evening  worship, 
the  book  was  still  in  my  hand,  and  the  closing  notes  of  the 
song  of  praise  had  scarcely  fallen  from  our  lips,  when  tho 
terrific  roar  of  the  lion  was  heard ;  our  oxen,  which  before 
were  quietly  chewing  the  cud,  rushed  upon  us,  and  over  our 
fires,  leaving  us  prostrated  in  a  cloud  of  dust  and  sand. 
Hats  and  hymn  books,  our  Bible  and  our  guns  were  all 
scattered  in  wild  confusion.  Providentially,  no  serious  inju- 
ry was  sustained  ;  the  oxen  were  pursued,  brought  back, 
and  secured  to  the  wagon,  for  we  could  ill  afford  to  lose  any. 
Africaner,  seeing  the  reluctance  of  the  people  to  pursue  in 
a  dark  and  gloomy  ravine,  grasped  a  firebrand,  and  ex- 
claimed, "  Follow  me!"  and  but  for  this  promptness  and 
intrepidity  we  must  have  lost  some  of  our  number,  for  noth- 
ing can  exceed  the  terror  of  oxen  at  even  the  smell  of  a 
lion.  Though  they  may  happen  to  be  in  the  worst  condition 
possible,  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  hunger,  the  moment  the 
shaggy  monster  is  perceived,  they  start  like  race  horses,  with 
their  tails  erect,  and  sometimes  days  will  elapse  before  they 
are  found.  The  number  of  lions  may  be  easily  accounted 
for,  when  it  is  remembered  how  thinly  scattered  the  inhabi- 


INHUMAN     CUSTOM.  97 

tants  are,  and,  indeed,  the  whole  appearance  of  the  country 
impresses  the  mind  with  the  idea  that  it  is  only  fit  for  beasts 
of  prey.  The  people  seem  to  drag  out  a  miserable  exist- 
ence, wandering  from  place  to  place  in  quest  of  grass,  game, 
or  wild  roots.  Those  I  had  met  with  had,  from  infancy, 
been  living  a  no-made  life,  with  one  great  object  in  view,  to 
keep  soul  and  body  together. 

"  A  region  of  drouorht.  where  no  river  glides, 
Nor  rippling  brook  with  osiered  sides; 
Where  sedgy  pool,  nor  bubbling  fount, 
Nor  tree,  nor  cloud,  nor  misty  mount 
Appears,  to  refresh  the  aching  eye ; 
But  barren  earth,  and  the  burning  sky, 
And  the  blank  horizon  round  and  round 
Spread — void  of  living  sight  or  sound." 

Among  the  poorer  classes  it  is,  indeed,  struggling  for  ex- 
istence ;  and  when  the  aged  become  too  weak  to  provide 
for  themselves,  and  are  a  burden  to  those  whom  they  brought 
forth  and  reared  to  manhood,  they  are  not  unfrequently 
abandoned  by  their  own  children,  with  a  meal  of  victuals 
and  a  cruise  of  water,  to  perish  in  the  desert ;  and  I  have 
seen  a  small  circle  of  stakes  fastened  in  the  ground,  within 
which  were  still  lying  the  bones  of  a  parent  bleached  in  the 
sun,  who  had  been  thus  abandoned.  In  one  instance  I  ob- 
served a  small  broken  earthenw^are  vessel,  in  which  the  last 
draught  of  water  had  been  left.  "What  is  this?"  I  said, 
pointing  to  the  stakes,  addressing  Africaner.  His  reply  was, 
"  This  is  heathenism ;"  and  then  described  this  parricidal 
cu.stom.  A  day  or  two  after,  a  circum.stance  occurred  which 
corroborated  his  statements.  We  had  travelled  all  day  over 
a  sandy  plain,  and  passed  a  sleepless  night  from  extreme 
thirst  and  fatigue.  Rising  early  in  the  morning,  and  leaving 
the  people  to  get  the  wagon  ready  to  follow,  I  went  forward 
with  one  of  our  number,  in  order  to  see  if  we  could  not  per- 
ceive some  indications  of  water,  by  the  foot-marks  of  game, 
for  it  was  in  a  part  of  the  country  where  we  could  not  ex- 
pect the  traces  of  man.  After  passing  a  ridge  of  hills,  and 
advancing  a  considerable  way  on  the  plain,  we  discovered, 
at  a  distance,  a  little  smoke  rising  amidst  a  few  bushes, 
which  seemed  to  skirt  a  ravine.  Animated  with  the  pros- 
pect, we  hastened  forward,  eagerly  anticipating  a  delicious 
draught  of  water,  no  matter  what  the  quality  might  be. 
When  we  had  arrived  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the 
spot,  we  stood  still,  startled  at  the  fresh  marks  of  lions, 
which  appeared  to  have  been  there  only  an  hour  before  us. 

9 


98  A  MOTHER  LEFT  TO  PERISH. 

We  had  no  guns,  being  too  tired  to  carry  them,  and  we  hes- 
itated, for  a  moment,  whether  to  proceed  or  return.  The 
wagon  was  yet  distant,  and  thirst  impelled  us  to  go  on,  but 
it  was  with  caution,  keeping  a  sharp  look  out  at  every  bush 
we  passed. 

On  reaching  the  spot,  we  beheld  an  object  of  heart-rend- 
ing   distress.      It   was    a   venerable-looking   old  woman,  a 
living  skeleton,  sitting,  with  her  head  leaning  on  her  knees. 
She  appeared  terrified  at  our  presence,  and  e.specially  at  me. 
She  tried  to  rise,  but,  trembling  with  weakness,  sunk  again 
to  the  earth.      I  addressed  her  by  the  name  which  sounds 
sweet  in  every  clime,  and  charms  even  the  savage  ear,  "  My 
mother,  fear  not ;  we  are  friends,  and  will  do  you  no  harm." 
I   put  several  questions   to  her,  but   she    appeared   either 
speechless,  or  afraid  to   open  her  lips.     I   again  repeated, 
"  Pray,  mother,  who  are  you,  and  how  do  you  come  to  be  in 
this  situation?"  to  which  she  replied,"!  am  a  woman  ;    I 
have  been  here   four  days ;  my  children  have  left  me  here 
to  die."     "Your  children!"   I  interrupted.     "  Yes,"  raising 
her  hand  to  her  shrivelled  bosom,  "  my  own  children,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.      They  are   gone,"    pointing  with 
her  finger,  "  to  yonder  blue  mountain,  and  have  kit  me  to 
die."      "And,  pray  why  did  they  leave  you?"    I  inquired. 
Spreading  out  her  hands,  "  I  am  old,  you  see,  and  I  am  no 
longer  able  to  serve  them  ;  when  they  kill  game,  I  am  too 
feeble  to  help  in  carrying  home  the  flesh ;    I  am  not  able  to 
gather  wood  to  make  fire  ;   and  I  cannot  carry  their  children 
on  my  back,  as  I  used  to  do."      This  last  sentence  was  more 
than  I  could  bear ;  and  though  my  tongue  was  cleaving  to 
the  roof  of  my  mouth  for  want  of  water,  this  reply  opened  a 
fountain  of  tears.      I  remarked  that  I  was  surprised  that  she 
had  escaped  the  lions,  which  seemed  to  abound,  and  to  have 
approached  very  near  the  spot  where  she  was.     She  took 
hold  of  the  skin  of  her  left  arm  with  her  fingers,  and,  raising 
it  up  as  one  would  do  a  loose   linen,  she   added,  "  I  hear  the 
lions ;  but  there  is  nothing  on  me  tiiat  they  would   eat ;   I 
have   no  flesh  on  me  for  them  to  scent."      At  this  moment 
the  wagon   drew  near,  wliich  greatly  alarmed  her,  for  she 
supposed  that  it  was  an  animal.     Assuring  her  that  it  would 
do  her  no  harm,  I  said  that,  as  I  could  not  stay,  I  would  put 
her  into  the  wagon,  and  take  her  with  me.     At  this  remark 
she  became  convulsed  with  terror.      Others  addressed  her, 
but  all  to  no  efiect.     She  replied,  that  if  we  took  her,  and 
left  her  at   another  village,  they  would   only  do   the   same 
thing  again.     "  It  is  our  custom;  I  am  nearly  dead;  I  do 


HUMAN   DEPRAVITY.  99 

not  want  to  die  again."  The  sun  was  now  piercingly  hot ; 
the  oxen  were  raging  in  the  yoke,  and  we  ourselves  nearly 
delirious.  Finding  it  impossible  to  influence  the  woman  to 
move,  without  running  the  risk  of  her  dying  convulsed  in 
our  hands,  we  collected  a  quantity  of  fuel,  gave  her  a  good 
supply  of  dry  meat,  some  tobacco,  and  a  knife,  with  some 
other  articles;  telling  her  we  should  return  in  two  days,  and 
stop  the  night,  when  she  would  be  able  to  go  Avith  us ;  only 
she  must  keep  up  a  good  fire  at  night,  as  the  lions  would 
smell  the  dried  flesh,  if  they  did  not  scent  her.  We  then 
pursued  our  course  ;  and  after  a  long  ride,  passing  a  rocky 
ridge  of  hills,  we  came  to  a  stagnant  pool,  into  which  men 
and  oxen  rushed  precipitately,  though  the  water  was  almost 
too  muddy  to  go  down  our  throats. 

On  our  return  to  the  spot,  according  to  promise,  we  found 
the  old  woman  and  every  thing  gone,  but,  on  examination, 
discovered  the  footmarks  of  two  men,  from  the  hills  referred 
to,  who  appeared  to  have  taken  her  away.  Several  months 
afterwards,  I  learned,  from  an  individual  who  visited  the 
station,  that  the  sons,  seeing  from  a  distance  the  wagon 
halt  at  the  spot,  where  they  had  so  unnaturally  left  their 
mother  to  perish,  came  to  see,  supposing  the  travellers  had 
been  viewing  the  mangled  remains  of  their  mother.  Find- 
ing  her  alive,  and  supplied  with  food,  and  on  her  telling 
the  story  of  the  strangers'  kindness,  they  were  alarmed,  and, 
dreading  the  vengeance  of  the  great  chief,  whom  they 
supposed  me  to  be,  took  her  home,  and  were  providing  for 
her  with  more  than  usual  care.  I  have  often  reasoned  with 
the  natives  on  this  cruel  practice  ;  in  reply  to  which,  they 
would  only  laugh.  It  may  be  imagined,  that  people  might 
devote  their  friends,  and  nobles  their  first-born,  like  the 
Carthaginians,  to  appease  some  ofTended  deity;  and  that 
mothers,  too,  should  smile  on  the  infants  their  own  hands 
had  murdered,  from  similar  motives ;  but  it  appears  an 
awful  exhibition  of  human  depravity,  when  children  compel 
their  parents  to  perish  for  want,  or  to  be  devoured  by  beasts 
of  prey  in  a  desert,  from  no  other  motive  than  sheer  laziness, 
or  to  get  quit  of  those  on  whose  breast  they  hung  in  helpless 
infancy,  Morose  lips  first  directed  their  vocal  powers,  whose 
hand  led  them  through  many  a  weary  waste,  and  who  often 
suflered  the  most  pinching  want,  that  the  babes  whom 
nature  taught  them  to  love  might  be  supplied.  I  have  more 
than  once  handed  food  to  a  hungry  mother,  who  appeared 
to  have  fasted  for  a  month,  when  she  would  just  taste  it, 
and  give  it  to  her  child,  when,  perhaps,  that  very  child, 


100  SAGACITY   OF   THE  LION. 

instead  of  returning  grateful  service  to  the  infancy  of  old 
age,  leaves  that  mother  to  perish  from  hunger. 

Conversing  with  the  party  one  evening,  when  sitting 
around  the  fire,  on  the  conduct  of  children  to  their  parents, 
I  observed  that  they  were  as  bad  as  lions.  "  They  are 
worse,"  replied  Africaner.  This  he  illustrated  from  the 
well-known  characteristics  of  the  king  of  beasts ;  or,  more 
properly,  king  of  the  beasts  of  prey.  Much  has  been  written 
about  African  lions,  but  the  half  has  not  been  told.  The 
following  trait  in  their  character  may  not  be  intrusive,  or 
partaking  of  the  marvellous,  with  which  the  tales  of  some 
travellers  are  said  to  abound.  I  give  it  as  received  from 
men  of  God,  and  men  who  had  been  experienced  Nimrods 
too.  The  old  lion,  when  in  company  with  his  children,  as 
the  natives  call  them,  though  they  are  nearly  as  big  as 
himself;  or,  when  numbers  together  happen  to  come  upon 
game,  the  oldest  or  ablest  creeps  to  the  object,  while  the 
others  crouch  on  the  grass ;  if  he  be  succes.sful,  which  he 
generally  is,  he  retires  from  his  victim,  and  lies  down  to 
breathe,  and  rest,  for  perliaps  a  quarter  of  an  hour ;  in  the 
meantime,  the  others  draw  around,  and  lie  down  at  a 
respectful  distance.  When  the  chief  one  has  got  his  rest, 
he  commences  at  the  abdomen  and  breast,  and  after  making 
havoc  with  the  tit-bits  of  the  carcase,  he  will  take  a  second 
rest,  none  of  the  others  presuming  to  move.  Having  made 
a  second  gorge,  he  retires,  the  others  watching  his  motions, 
rush  on  the  remainder,  and  it  is  soon  devoured.  At  other 
times,  if  a  young  lion  seizes  the  prey,  and  an  old  one  hap- 
pens to  come  up,  the  younger  retires  till  the  elder  has 
dined.  This  was  what  Africaner  called  better  manners 
than  those  of  the  Namaquas. 

Passing  along  a  vale,  we  came  to  a  spot  where  the  lion 
appeared  to  have  been  exercising  himself  in  the  way  of  leap- 
ing. As  the  natives  are  very  expert  in  tracing  the  manoeu- 
vres of  animals  by  their  foot-iuarks,  it  was  soon  discovered 
that  a  large  lion  had  crept  towards  a  short  black  stump,  very 
like  the  human  form  ;  when  within  about  a  dozen  yards,  it 
bounded  on  its  supposed  prey,  when,  to  his  mortification,  he 
fell  a  foot  or  two  short  of  it.  According  to  the  testimony  of 
a  native  who  had  been  watching  his  motions,  and  who  join- 
ed us  soon  after,  the  lion  lay  for  some  time  stedfastly  eyeing 
its  supposed  meal.  It  then  arose,  smelt  the  object,  and  re- 
turned to  the  spot  from  which  he  commenced  his  first  leap, 
and  leaped  four  several  times,  till  at  last  he  placed  his  paw 
on  the  imagined  prize.     On  another  occasion,  when  Africa- 


TERRIBLE   POSITION.  101 

ner  and  an  attendant  were  passing  near  the  end  of  a  hill, 
from  which  jutted  out  a  smooth  rock  of  ten  or  twelve  feet 
high,  he  observed  a  number  of  zebras  pressing  round  it, 
obhged  to  keep  the  path,  beyond  wliich  it  was  precipitous. 
A  lion  was  seen  creeping  up  towards  the  path,  to  intercept 
the  large  stalhon,  which  is  always  in  the  rear  to  defend  or 
warn  the  troop.  The  lion  missed  his  mark,  and  while  the 
zebra  rushed  round  the  point,  the  lion  knew  well  if  he  could 
mount  the  rock  at  one  leap,  the  next  would  be  on  the  zebra's 
back,  it  being  obliged  to  turn  towards  the  hill.  He  fell 
short,  with  only  his  head  over  the  stone,  looking  at  the  gal- 
loping zebra  switching  his  tail  in  the  air.  He  then  tried  a 
second  and  a  third  leap,  till  he  succeeded.  In  the  meantime 
two  more  lions  came  up,  and  seemed  to  talk  and  roar  away 
about  something,  while  the  old  lion  led  them  round  the  rock, 
and  round  it  again  ;  then  he  made  another  grand  leap,  to 
show  them  what  he  and  they  must  do  next  time.  Africaner 
added,  with  the  most  perfect  gravity,  "  They  evidently  talk- 
ed to  each  other,  but  though  loud  enough,  I  could  not  under- 
stand a  word  they  said,  and,  fearing  lest  we  should  be  the 
next  objects  of  their  skill,  we  crept  away  and  left  them  in 
council." 

The  following  fact  will  show  the  fearful  dangers  to  which 
solitary  travellers  are  sometimes  exposed.  A  man  belong- 
ing to  Mr.  Schmelen's  congregation,  at  Bethany,  returning 
homewards  from  a  visit  to  his  friends,  took  a  circuitous  course 
in  order  to  pass  a  small  fountain,  or  rather  pool,  where  he 
hoped  to  kill  an  antelope  to  carry  home  to  his  family.  The 
sun  had  risen  to  some  height  by  the  time  he  reached  the 
spot,  and  seeing  no  game,  he  laid  his  gun  down  on  a  shelv- 
ing low  rock,  the  back  part  of  which  was  covered  over  with 
a  species  of  dwarf  thorn-bushes.  He  went  to  the  water, 
took  a  hearty  drink,  and  returned  to  the  rock,  smoked  his 
pipe,  and  being  a  little  tired,  fell  asleep.  In  a  short  time 
the  heat  reflected  from  the  rock  awoke  him,  and  opening 
his  eyes,  he  saw  a  large  lion  crouching  before  him,  Avith  its 
eyes  glaring  in  his  face,  and  within  little  more  than  a  yard 
of  his  feet.  He  sat  motionless  for  some  minutes,  till  he  had 
recovered  his  presence  of  mind,  then  eyeing  his  gun,  moved 
his  hand  slowly  towards  it  ;  the  lion  seeing  him,  raised  its 
head,  and  gave  a  tremendous  roar  ;  he  made  another  and 
another  attempt,  but  the  gun  being  far  beyond  his  reach,  he 
gave  it  up,  as  the  lion  seemed  well  aware  of"  his  object,  and 
was  enraged  whenever  he  attempted  to  move  his  hand. 
His  situation  now  became  painful  iu  the  extreme  ;  the  rock 

9* 


102  TERRIBLE    POSITION. 

on  which  he  sat  became  so  hot  that  he  could  scarcely  bear 
his  naked  feet  to  touch  it,  and  kept  moving  them,  alternately 
placing  one  above  the  other.  The  day  passed,  and  the  night 
also,  but  the  lion  never  moved  from  the  spot ;  the  sun  rose 
again,  and  its  intense  heat  soon  rendered  his  feet  past  feel- 
ing. At  noon  the  lion  rose  and  walked  to  the  water,  only  a 
few  yards  distant,  looking  behind  as  it  went,  lest  the  man 
should  move,  and  seeing  him  stretch  out  his  hand  to  take 
his  gun,  turned  in  a  rage,  and  was  on  the  point  of  springing 
upon  him.  The  animal  went  to  the  water,  drank,  and  re- 
turning, lay  down  again  at  the  edge  of  the  rock.  Another 
night  passed,  the  man,  in  describing  it,  said,  he  knew  not 
whether  he  slei^t,  but  if  he  did,  it  must  have  been  with  his 
eyes  open,  for  he  always  saw  the  lion  at  his  feet.  Next  day, 
in  the  forenoon,  the  animal  went  again  to  the  water,  and 
while  there,  he  listened  to  some  noise  apparently  from  an 
opposite  quarter,  and  disappeared  in  the  bushes.  ThS  man 
now  made  another  effort,  and  seized  his  gun  ;  but  on  at- 
tempting to  rise,  he  fell,  his  ankles  being  without  power. 
With  his  gun  in  his  hand,  he  crept  towards  the  M^ater,  and 
drank,  but  looking  at  his  feet,  he  saw,  as  he  expressed  it,  his 
"  toes  roasted,"  and  the  skin  torn  off  with  the  grass.  There 
he  sat  a  few  moments,  expecting  the  lion's  return,  Avlien  he 
was  resolved  to  send  the  contents  of  the  gun  through  its 
head ;  but  as  it  did  not  appear,  tying  his  gun  to  his  back, 
the  poor  man  made  the  best  of  his  way  on  his  hands  and 
knees,  to  the  nearest  path,  hoping  some  solitary  individual 
might  pass.  He  could  go  no  farther,  when,  providentially, 
a  person  came  up,  who  took  him  to  a  place  of  safety,  froiji 
whence  he  obtained  help,  though  he  lost  his  toes,  and  was  a 
cripple  for  life. 

The  preceding  lion  stories,  selected  from  many  more,  will 
serve  for  the  present  to  illustrate  the  character  of  that  noble, 
but  dangerous  creatuie.  As  to  his  being  afraid  of  the  hu- 
man eye,  I  shall  touch  on  that  subject  in  another  part  of  my 
work,  when  I  describe  those  which  have  tasted  human  flesh, 
for  which  they  ever  afterwards  retain  an  uncommon  relish. 
With  all  their  boldness,  they  are  sometimes  arrant  cowards. 
On  one  occasion,  I  remember  a  man  who,  coming  unex- 
pectedly on  a  lion,  fainted.  The  lion  raised  himself  to  look 
over  the  bushes,  and  seeing  no  one,  seemed  to  suspect  a 
plot,  and  scampered  off  with  his  tail  between  his  legs.  It  is 
but  justice  to  add,  that  the  man  was  no  less  cowardly ;  for, 
on  awaking  from  his  swoon,  and  looking  this  way  and  that, 
he  imagined  the  object  of  liis  terror  was  still  there,  and 


SUFFERINGS    IN    THE    DESERT.  103 

taking  to  his  heels,  he  made  towards  the  wagon.  I  have 
known  Bushmen,  and  even  women,  drive  the  lion  away  from 
tlie  prey  he  has  just  seized,  by  beating  their  clubs  on  dry 
hides,  and  shouting  ;  nevertheless,  by  day,  and  especially  by 
night,  he  is  an  object  of  terror.  Such  subjects  as  these 
served  sometimes  to  amuse  our  evening  hours  ;  more  fre- 
quently, however,  I  requested  my  companions  to  propose 
([uestions  on  scriptural  and  other  important  subjects,  in  an- 
swering which  1  had  an  opportunity  of  communicating  much 
usefid  and  edifying  instruction. 

Being  disappointed  in  the  object  of  our  journe}'^,  we  en- 
deavoured to  reach  home  by  a  shorter  route  farther  to  the 
east  on  the  borders  of  the  southern  Zahara  desert,  which 
lies  between  Namaqua-land  and  the  country  of  the  Bechua- 
nas.  We  had  nearly  paid  dear  for  our  haste,  for  we  found 
ourselves  in  a  plain  of  deep  sand,  and  were  on  the  point  of 
abandoning  the  wagon.  Each  went  in  search  of  water,  but 
it  was  in  vain,  we  found  only  water  melons,  and  those  as 
bitter  as  gall.  I  shall  never  forget  the  ghastly  looks  of  our 
party — nothing  could  provoke  a  smile.  Some  had  started 
off  in  the  direction  of  a  river  called  'Kam  Toaap,  which 
signifies  "  the  water  is  done,"  where  they  happily  found 
some,  and  (after  drinking  largely  themselves)  filled  their 
calabashes  and  returned ;  but  before  reaching  the  wagon, 
their  thirst  again  became  excessive,  and  by  the  next  morn- 
ing tliey  had  nearly  finished  all  they  had  reserved  for  us. 
On  my  tasting  the  water,  and  it  was  indeed  but  a  taste,  for 
I  wished  that  others  should  wet  their  lips,  the  rage  for  water 
seemed  to  increase,  and  we  hastened  towards  the  river. 
When  we  reached  the  top  of  the  deep  bed  of  the  river,  a 
scene  presented  itself  which,  though  tv/enty-three  years  have 
elapsed,  is  as  fresh  to  my  mind  as  though  it  occurred  but 
yesterday.  Two  of  the  men  who  had  preceded  us,  imme- 
diately seized  the  thong  of  the  two  leading  oxen,  to  prevent 
tbem  from  precipitating  themselves  with  the  wagon  down, 
the  rugged  steep,  after  the  example  of  wiser  heads  ;  for  all 
the  people,  without  exception,  rushed  down  the  bank,  some 
kept  their  feet,  others  rolled,  and  some  tumbled  headlong 
into  the  muddy  pool,  in  which  they  seemed  fain  to  lie,  clothes 
and  alL  It  was  well  that  the  water  was  warmed  by  the 
sun's  scorching  rays,  for  Africaner,  as  well  as  others,  re- 
corded several  instances  of  thirsty  travellers  drinking  largely 
in  their  heated  state,  and  instantly  expiring  with  their  faces 
in  the  water. 

The  journey,  wliich  occupied  only  a  few  weeks,  though 


104  MISSIONARIES    OF   FORMER    TIMES. 

without  success,  settled  one  important  point,  namely,  the 
impossibility  of  obtaining  in  that  desolate  region  an  eligible 
situation  for  a  missionary  station.  Jacobus,  who  had  been 
left  in  charge,  had  executed  his  office  with  great  fidelity  and 
zeal. 

The  place  looked  very  desolate,  and  though  I  had  still  a 
congregation  of  about  200  persons,  and  upwards  of  100 
children  in  the  school,  many  were  absent  at  cattle  out-posts 
on  account  of  grass.  I  now  resumed  my  itinerating  visits  on 
a  more  extensive  scale,  as  I  had  able  assistants  in  Jacobus 
and  David  to  carry  on  the  week  services  of  the  school, 
Titus,  who  had  also  been  one  of  my  attendants  on  the  jour- 
ney, and  who,  from  v/hat  I  saw,  would  have  suffered  death 
rather  than  have  seen  evil  befall  me,  now  gave  me  another 
display  of  his  attachment.  He  did  not  like  the  idea  of  my 
riding  on  an  ox  with  horns,  which  is  certainly  both  awkward 
and  hazardous.  Some  time  before,  one  had  fallen,  and  the 
rider  being  thrown  forward  with  liis  breast  on  the  horn,  was 
killed.  Titus  very  generously  begged  of  me  to  take  his  only 
horse,  which  was  of  great  value  to  him  for  hunting. 

These  itinerating  expeditions  were  not  unfrequently 
attended  with  privation  as  well  as  danger.  I  shall  briefly 
advert  to  some  facts  connected  with  this  subject,  which  will 
serve  to  show  those  who  may  be  similarly  situated,  that  their 
lot  is  only  that  of  their  predecessors.  In  my  experience,  I 
often  found  it  not  only  profitable  but  animating,,  to  read  the 
sufferings  of  the  messengers  of  the  cross  in  past  ages  ;  to 
which  ours  of  the  present  bear  no  comparison  ;  and  especially 
to  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and  his  coadjutors,  who 
became  "  all  things  to  all  men,  as  the  ministers  of  God,  in 
much  patience,  in  Afflictions,  in  necessities,  in  distresses,  in 
stripes,  in  imprisonments,  in  tumults,  in  labours,  in  watching, 
in  fastings,"  2  Cor.  vi.  4,  5. 

After  tying  my  Bible  and  hymn-book  in  a  blanket  to  the 
back  of  my  saddle,  and  taking  a  good  draught  of  milk,  I 
started  with  my  interpreter,  who  rode  upon  an  ox.  We  had 
our  guns,  but  nothing  in  our  purse  or  scrip  except  a  pipe, 
some  tobacco,  and  a  tinder  box.  Bread  Ave  had  none  ;  and 
though  we  might  have  taken  a  small  piece  of  dry  meat 
with  us,  we  did  not,  hoping  at  our  halting  place  to  meet  a 
son  of  peace.  After  a  hot  day's  ride,  to  reach  a  village  in 
the  evening,  the  people  Avould  give  us  a  draught  of  sweet 
milk  ;  and  then  old  and  young,  assembling  in  a  nook  of  the 
fold  among  the  kine,  would  listen  to  my  address  on  the  great 
concerns  of  their  souls'   salvation.      I   exliorted   those  who 


A    SCUFFLE   WITH   THE    LION.  105 

could  read  to  read  to  others,  and  try  to  teach  them  to  do  the 
same,  promising  them  a  reward  in  heaven  ;  for  I  had  none 
to  give  on  earth.  When  service  was  over,  having  taken 
another  draught  of  milk,  and  renewed  my  conversation  with 
the  people,  I  lay  down  on  a  mat  to  repose  for  the  night. 
Sometimes  a  kind  housewife  would  hang  I  bamboos,  or 
wooden  vessel  filled  with  milk,  on  a  forked  stick,  near  my 
head,  that  I  might,  if  neccessary,  drink  during  the  night. 

At  one  of  these  places  I  had  slept  on  the  ground  near  the 
door  of  the  hut  in  which  the  principal  man  and  his  wife 
reposed.  I  remarked  in  the  morning,  that  it  appeared  that 
some  of  the  cattle  had  broken  loose  during  the  night,  as  I 
heard  something  moving  about  on  the  outside  of  the  thorn 
fence,  under  wliich  I  lay.  "  Oh,"  he  replied,  "  I  was  looking 
at  the  spoor  this  morning,  it  was  the  lion  ;"  adding,  that  a 
few  nights  before  it  sprang  over  on  the  very  spot  on  which  I 
had  been  lying,  and  seized  a  goat,  with  which  it  bounded  off 
through  another  part  of  the  fold,  "  Look."  said  he,  "  there 
is  a  part  of  some  of  the  mats  we  tore  from  the  house,  and 
burned  to  frighten  him  away."  On  asking  him  how  he  could 
think  of  appointing  me  to  sleep  in  that  very  spot.  "Oh,"  he 
rejoined,  "  the  lion  would  not  have  the  audacity  to  jump 
over  on  you."  This  remark  produced  a  laugh  in  me,  in 
which  he  and  his  wife  joined  most  heartily ;  and  reminded 
me  of  a  circumstance  in  his  own  history,  with  which  I  was 
well  acquainted  ;  for  he  had  been  in  the  jaws  of  a  lion. 
One  night,  he,  and  about  a  dozen  hunters,  were  fast  asleep, 
with  a  circle  of  bushes  placed  around  their  fire.  When  the 
blaze  was  extinguished,  a  lion  sprang  into  the  midst  of  the 
sleeping  party,  seized  my  host  by  the  shoulder,  and  with  his 
caross,  dragged  him  off  to  some  distance.  The  others, 
aroused  by  the  scufflle,  snatched  up  their  guns,  and,  not 
knowing  one  of  their  number  had  been  carried  off,  shot  in 
the  direction  whence  the  noise  proceeded.  One  ball  happen- 
ed to  wound  the  lion,  and,  in  trying  to  roar,  it  let  the  man 
drop  from  its  grasp,  who  instantly  ran  off,  leaving  his  mantle, 
and  bolting  among  his  companions,  crying  out,  "  Do  not 
shoot  me  ;"  for  they  supposed  for  a  moment  that  he  was  the 
lion.  He  showed  me  the  ugly  marks  of  the  lion's  teeth  in 
his  shoulder. 

After  addressing,  in  the  morning,  a  party  like  that  of  the 
preceding  evening,  I  would  again  start  toward  another  vil- 
lage ;  but,  owing  to  the  migatory  habits  of  the  natives  in 
search  of  water  and  grass,  there  was  considerable  uncer- 
tainty as  to  findmg  them.     We  would  travel  slowly  all  day, 


106  NIGHT   ASSOCIATES. 

having  had  for  our  breakfast  a  good  draught  of  milk ;  and 
in  the  evening  reach  the  proposed  spot  as  hungry  as  hawks, 
to  find  the  whole  party  removed,  leaving  nothing  but  empty 
folds.  To  follow  the  spoor,  or  track,  througii  the  night,  was 
out  of  the  question  ;  besides,  there  was  rarely  any  trace  of 
the  direction  in  which  the  party  had  decamped.  The  only 
livinof  creatures  to  be  seen  were  some  vultures  and  crows 
perched  on  a  bush  or  rock,  which  were  disturbed  by  our  ap- 
proach to  the  ruins  of  a  mat  house,  where  they  had  been 
occupied  in  picking  up  bits  of  skin,  and  other  particles  of 
food.  Not  know^ing  the  distance  to  the  water,  we  would  sit 
down  hungry  and  thirsty,  wdth  little  inclination  either  to 
speak  or  think ;  and  after  commending  ourselves  to  the  care 
of  our  heavenly  Father,  lie  down  to  repose,  not  unfrequently 
disturbed  by  visits  from  hyenas,  jackals,  and  sometimes  the 
lion  himself;  all  which  come  to  prowl  for  bones  when  a  vil- 
lage has  been  deserted.  Next  morning  our  first  concern 
would  be  to  find  water ;  and,  taking  our  beasts  of  burden, 
we  would  seek  the  track  which  appeared  to  lead  to  that  ever 
delightful  beverage.  Having  breakfasted  on  a  draught  of 
not  very  sweet  water,  w^e  would  again  set  ofi'  on  our  lonely 
course,  proceeding  very  slowly,  in  order  not  to  lose  the  spoor, 
regarding  ourselves  fortunate  if  we  succeeded  in  overtaking 
the  party.  " 

The  above  is  a  specimen  of  Namaqua  itinerating,  and 
sometimes  the  missionary  is  called  to  sufi'er  much  greater 
privations  than  have  now  been  described.  This  may  be  the 
most  proper  place,  briefly  to  introduce  a  sketch  of  the  gen- 
eral character  of  my  manner  of  living,  while  on  this  station. 
As  before  noticed,  1  had  neither  bread  nor  vegetables.  Mr. 
Bartlett,  of  Pella,  once  sent  me  a  bag  containing  a  few 
pounds  of  salt,  but,  on  examining  it,  I  could  scarcely  tell 
whether  there  was  most  sand  or  salt,  and  having  become 
accustomed  to  do  without  it.  I  hung  it  upon  a  nail,  where  it 
remained  untouched.  My  food  was  milk  and  meat,  living 
for  weeks  together  on  one,  and  then  for  a  while  on  the  other, 
and  again  on  both  together.  All  w^as  well  so  long  as  I  had 
either,  but  sometimes  they  both  failed,  and  there  were  no 
shops  in  the  country  where  I  could  have  purchased  ;  and  had 
there  been  any  I  must  have  bought  on  credit,  for  money  I 
had  none. 

I  had  purchased  some  ew^es  from  Mr.  Ebner  when  he  left 
the  country,  which  I  spared,  hoping  to  get  now  and  then  a 
lamb.  My  meals  consisted  frequently  of  a  draught  of  milk 
in  the  morning,  another  at  noon  and  a  third  at  night,  either 


107 

sweet,  sour,  or  curdled ;  for  the  Namaquas  had  not  the  art 
of  preparing  it  in  the  manner  of  the  Bechuanas,  which  will 
afterwards  be  described,  I  had  frequently  pretty  long  fasts, 
and  have  had  recourse  to  the  "  fasting-girdle,"  as  it  is  called; 
on  more  than  one  occasion  after  the  morning  service,  I  have 
shouldered  my  gun,  and  gone  to  the  plain  or  the  mountain 
brow  in  search  of  something  to  eat,  and,  when  unsuccessful, 
have  returned,  laid  down  my  piece,  taken  the  Word  of  Life, 
and  addressed  my  congregation.  I  never  liked  begging,  aiid 
have  frequently  been  hard  put  to  ;  but  many  a  time  has  an 
unknown  friend  placed  in  my  hut  a  portion  of  food,  on  which 
I  have  looked  with  feelings  better  conceived  than  described. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  kindness  of  Titus  Africaner,  who, 
when  he  visited  the  station,  would  come  and  ask  what  he 
covdd  do  for  me,  and,  on  receiving  a  few  shots,  would  go  to 
the  field,  and  almost  always  bring  me  home  something,  for 
he  was  an  extraordinary  marksman. 

The  contents  of  my  wardrobe  bore  the  same  impress  of 
poverty.  The  supply  of  clothes  which  I  had  received  in 
London  were,  as  is  too  often  the  case,  made  after  the  dandy 
fashion,  and  I  being  still  a  growing  youth,  they  soon  went  to 
pieces.  There  were  no  laundry-maids  there,  nor  anything 
like  ironing  or  mangling.  The  old  woman  who  washed  my 
linen  sometimes  with  soap,  but  oftener  without,  was  wont  to 
make  one  .shirt  into  a  bag,  and  stuff  the  others  into  it,  and  I 
just  took  them  out  as  they  were,  and  more  than  once  have 
1  turned  one  to  feel  the  comfort  of  a  clean  shirt.  My  dear 
old  mother,  to  keep  us  out  of  mischief  in  the  long  winter 
evenings,  taught  me  both  to  sew  and  knit;  and  when  I 
would  tell  her  I  intended  being  a  man,  she  would  reply, 
"  Lad,  ye  dinna  ken  whur  your  lot  will  be  'cast,"  She  was 
right,  for  I  have  often  had  occasion  to  use  the  needle  since. 
I  remember  once  she  showed  me  how  a  shirt  might  be 
smoothed,  by  folding  it  properly,  and  hammering  it  with  a 
piece  of  wood.  Resolving  one  day  to  have  a  nice  shirt  for 
the  sabbath,  I  folded  up  one,  and  having  prepared  a  suitable 
block,  I  laid  it  on,  not  a  smooth  hearth-stone,  but  fine  granite, 
and  hammered  away  in  good  earnest,  when  Africaner  com- 
ing by  said,  •'  What  are  you  doing?"  "  Smoothing  my  shirt," 
I  replied.  "  That  is  one  way,"  said  he.  So  it  was,  for  on 
hokling  it  up  to  view,  it  was  riddled  with  holes,  some  as 
large  as  the  point  of  my  finger.  When  I  left  the  country  I 
had  not  half  a  dozen  shirts  with  two  sleeves  a-piece. 


CHAPTER   XI. 


After  continuing  for  many  months  tliis  manner  of  life, 
cheered  in  a  dry  and  thirsty  land,  with  the  early  and  latter 
rains  on  the  seeds  sown  in  tiie  hearts  of  the  people,  it  was 
resolved  to  make  another  attempt  to  find  a  more  convenient 
spot  on  which  to  conduct  the  mission  ;  and  before  closing 
the  account  of  my  sojourn  in  Great  Namaqua-land,  1  will 
just  add  the  particulars  of  a  journey  undertaken  at  the 
request  of  Africaner.  He  wished  me  to  visit  the  Griqua 
country,  to  the  east  of  the  desert,  to  inspect  a  situation 
offered  to  him  and  his  people,  to  which  he  might  remove 
with  the  full  sanction  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Griquas.  Africaner 
was  most  anxious  to  leave  Namar|ua-land,  and  the  present 
offer,  which  had  the  approval  of  Mr.  Anderson,  the  mission- 
ary at  that  place,  being  attended  with  some  political  diffi- 
culties, I  felt  some  reluctance,  but  at  the  urgent  solicitations 
of  the  people,  I  w^ent.  David  and  Simon,  the  two  brothers 
of  Africaner,  and  Jonker,  his  son,  with  Jantye  Vanderbyle, 
the  chief  guide,  were  my  attendants  ;  we  had  about  eight 
horses,  good  and  bad,  when  we  started.  We  each  took  a 
caross,  or  sheep.skm  blanket,  with  us,  and  trusted  entirely  for 
food  to  what  we  might  shoot  and  obtain  from  the  Corannas 
on  the  road. 

Our  course  lay  principally  on  the  north  side  of  the  Orange 
River.  Though  we  journeyed  on  the  banks  of  a  river  in 
which  there  was  an  abundance  of  water,  and  though  the 
country  was  well  inhabited,  we  suffered  affhctively  from 
thirst,  as  well  as  hunger;  few  villages  being  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river,  along  Avhich  we  travelled.  We  v.ere 
sometimes  compelled  to  scramble  over  rocky  passes  in  the 
hills,  only  a  fit  abode  for  baboons,  Avhich  were  as  plentiful 
as  they  were  impudent.  At  other  times  we  had  to  cross 
the  river,  to  avoid  the  mountains  on  the  opposite  side,  which 
arose,  in  the  wildest  grandeur,  from  the  water's  edge.  On 
reaching  the  waterfalls,  we  were  kindly  received  and  treated 
by  a  Coranna  chief,  called  Paul,  (to  w4iom  I  shall  have 
occasion  to  refer  when  treating  of  the  Bechuana  mission,) 
and  there  we  halted  one  day.      He  had  visited  our  station, 


UNPLEASANT   RIDE.  109 

and  felt  exceedingly  thankful  for  the  kindness  I  had  shown 
him.  I  was  glad  of  this  renewed  opportunity  to  preach, 
and  he  was  glad  to  hear  again  the  message  of  Divine  grace. 

The  Orange  River  here  presents  the  appearance  of  a 
plain,  miles  in  breadth,  entirely  covered  with  mimosa  trees, 
among  which  the  many  branches  of  the  river  run,  and  then 
tumble  over  the  precipices,  raising  clouds  of  mist,  when 
there  is  any  volume  of  water.  As  it  was  arranged  that  we 
should  not  start  before  sunset,  I  wandered  at  noon  towards 
the  river ;  and  supposing  the  falls  (from  the  noise)  were  not 
very  distant,  I  walked  towards  them  ;  but  feeling  excessively 
tired,  I  sat  down  under  the  shadow  of  a  bush,  and  was  soon 
iast  asleep,  having  had  httle  rest  the  night  before.  Towards 
evening  the  hue  and  cry  was  raised  that  the  master  was 
missing,  and  a  number  sought  my  spoor,  or  footmarks,  and 
followed  till  they  found  me.  The  first  thing  I  heard,  on 
awaking  was,  "  Mynheer,  are  you  not  afraid  of  the  panthers?" 
We  proceeded  on  our  journey,  and  entered  a  valley  covered 
with  a  species  of  mimosa,  the  thorns  of  which  resembled 
fish-hooks.  Anxious  to  reach  the  high  ground  on  the  hills 
on  the  opposite  side  before  the  lions,  whose  roaring  was 
heard  on  the  heights  above,  should  come  down  towards  the 
liver,  we  quickened  our  pace.  But  the  darkness  increasing, 
and  being  unable  to  define  the  edges  of  the  bushes,  the 
rider  was  frequently  caught  and  thrown  to  the  ground,  or 
left  a  piece  of  jacket  or  trowsers  on  the  thorns,  so  that  when 
we  reached  the  other  side  of  the  dale  Ave  were  both  ragged 
and  bleeding.  To  avoid  following  the  serpentine  course  of 
some  parts  of  the  river,  we  often  directed  our  course,  with- 
out a  path,  to  the  next  turn  of  the  stream.  One  of  these  we 
reached  at  a  late  hour,  and  it  being  very  dark,  and  the 
banks  precipitous,  we  heard  the  water  murnmring  below, 
but  dared  not  go  down,  fearing  a  plunge,  and  the  company 
of  the  hippopotami. 

Being  ignorant  of  the  locality,  and  not  knowing  where 
the  inhabitants  (Bushmen)  might  be,  we  made  no  fire,  lest 
we  should  be  discovered,  and  we  had  nothing  to  roast. 
There  were  no  trees,  and  we  lay  down  between  ridges  or 
hills  of  deep  sand.  The  wind  was  cold,  and  we  had  little 
covering,  having  left  the  half  of  our  horses  knocked  up,  and 
with  them  most  of  our  carosses.  The  plan  adopted  by  Mr. 
Haensel,  a  Moravian  missionary,  in  similar  circumstances, 
occurred  to  me,  and,  like  him,  I  made  a  hole  in  the  sand, 
and  buried  myself,  leaving  the  head  out.  I  soon  felt  very 
comfortable,  and,  extoUing  the  plan,  one  of  my  companions 

10 


110  SCENERY   ON    THE   ORANGE    RIVER. 

imitated  my  example,  and  got  under  the  earth.  I  then  told 
him  that  the  missionary  whom  we  were  imitating,  having 
once  submerged  himself  in  the  sand  near  the  sea-shore,  was 
occasionally  disturbed  by  huge  crabs  approaching  him,  and 
these  his  faithful  dog  kept  at  a  distance.  My  companion 
asked,  "  And  what  are  we  to  do  if  a  lion  comes  ?"  "  We  are 
safe,"  I  replied,  "  for  he  will  not  eat  heads  when  he  can  get 
whole  bodies."  This  removed  his  fears;  and  I  do  not 
remember  to  have  slept  so  comfortably  during  the  whole 
journey,  in  which  we  had  often  very  sorry  accommodations. 

The  windings  of  the  river  sometimes  flowed  through 
immense  chasms,  overhung  with  stupendous  precipices ; 
and  then  like  a  translucent  lake,  with  the  beautiful  towering 
mimosas  and  willows  reflected  from  its  bosom  ;  and  a  rich 
variety  of  birds,  of  fine  plumage,  though  without  a  song; 
wild  geese,  ducks,  snipes,  flamingoes,  in  perfect  security, 
feeding  on  the  banks,  beneath  the  green  shade,  or  basking 
in  the  sun's  rays  on  the  verdant  islands,  far  from  the  foAvler's 
snare.  The  swallows  also,  mounting  aloft,  or  skimming  the 
surface  of  the  mirror  stream  ;  Mobile  the  ravens,  with  their 
hoarse  note,  might  be  seen  seeking  their  daily  food  among 
the  watery  tribe,  or  cawing  on  the  bending  tops  of  the 
weeping  willows. 

Flocks  of  Guinea  fowl  would  occasionally  add  to  the 
varied  scene,  with  their  shrill  cry,  and  whirling  flight  from 
the  open  plain  to  the  umbrage  of  the  sloping  bank,  vdiere 
they  pass  the  night  amidst  the  branches  of  the  tall  acacias. 
But  here  too  the  curse  reigns  ;  for  tlie  kites  and  hawks  might 
be  seen  hovering  in  the  air,  watching  the  motions  of  the 
creatures  beneath,  and  ready  to  dart  down,  with  the  fleet- 
ness  of  an  arrow,  on  a  duckling  straying  from  its  parent,  or 
on  a  bird  or  a  hare  moving  too  far  from  the  shelter  of  a  bush 
or  tree.  The  fox  also  might  be  seen,  stealing  slowly  along 
from  the  desert  waste,  to  slake  his  thirst  in  the  refreshing 
stream,  and  seek  for  some  unfortunate  brood  which  might 
fall  within  his  reach ;  and  the  cobra  and  green  serpent,  as- 
cending the  trees,  to  suck  the  eggs,  or  to  devour  the  young 
birds  ;  while  the  feathered  tribe,  uniting  against  the  common 
enemy,  gather  around,  and  rend  the  air  with  their  screams. 
The  African  tiger,  too,  comes  in  for  a  share  of  the  feathered 
spoil.  With  his  sharp  claws  he  ascends  the  trees,  in  the 
dead  of  night,  and  seizes  the  Guinea  fowls  on  their  aerial 
roost.  The  hyena,  also,  here  seeks  his  spoil,  and  gorges 
some  strayed  kid,  or  pursues  the  troop  for  the  new-fallen  an- 


THE  CROW  AND  THE  TORTOISE.  Ill 

telope  or  foal ;  and,  to  fill  up  the  picture,  the  lion  may  be 
heard  in  the  distance,  roaring  for  his  prey;  while  man, 

"  The  great  enemy  to  man," 

is  no  less  so  to  fish  or  fowl,  or  spotted  deer.  Wherever  he 
wanders  he  seeks  to  regale  his  varied  appetite  ;  and  more 
than  this,  he,  as  the  enemy  of  enemies,  fears  not  to  attack 
the  ponderous  elephant,  face  the  lion's  glare,  and  for  his 
amusement  lay  prostrate  in  the  dust  the  innocent. 

Reclining  on  a  rock  one  day,  Avaiting  till  my  shirt,  which  I 
had  washed,  was  dry,  I  noticed  a  crow  rise  from  the  earth, 
carrying  sometliing  dangling  in  its  talons.  On  directing  my 
companions  to  the  sight,  they  said,  "  It  is  only  a  crow  with 
a  tortoise  ;  you  will  see  it  fall  presently ;"  and  down  it  fell. 
The  crow  descended,  and  up  went  the  tortoise  again  to  a 
still  greater  height,  from  which  it  dropped,  and  the  crow 
instantly  followed.  I  hastened  with  one  of  the  men  to  the 
spot,  and  scared  away  the  crow  from  the  mangled  tortoise, 
on  which  it  was  enjoying  a  feast.  On  looking  around  the 
flat  rock  there  were  many  wrecks  of  former  years  ;  and  on 
my  remarking  I  did  not  think  the  crow  was  so  cunning,  my 
companion  replied,  "  The  kites  do  the  same  thing  ;"  which  I 
have  since  frequently  observed. 

In  our  journey  along  the  banks  of  the  river  we  met  few 
of  the  inhabitants,  as  most  of  them  had  removed  to  the  other 
side.  We  passed  two  of  the  reed  huts  of  ]VIr.  Sass,  who, 
with  Mr.  Helm,  had  for  many  years  moved  about  with  the 
Corannas,  living  a  self-denying  life  on  the  sterile  banks  of 
the  Orange  River,  which  has  been  not  unaptly  compared, 
from  its  extreme  heat,  to  an  oven.  When  we  happened  to 
meet  with  any  who  had  been  under  the  tuition  of  these  de- 
voted men,  we  felt  at  home,  and  received  more  than  the  re- 
war  led  boon  of  a  cup  of  cold  water.  Others  we  met,  who 
would  give  us  neither  meat  nor  drink,  but  appoint  our  place 
of  niglit's  repose,  after  a  toilsome  day,  where  the  lion  came 
his  nightly  round  :  but  mercy  encompassed  us  about. 

On  one  occasion  I  was  remarkably  preserved,  when  all 
expected  that  my  race  was  run.  We  had  reached  the  river 
early  in  the  afternoon,  after  a  dreadfully  scorching  ride  across 
a  plain.  Three  of  my  companions,  who  AA^ere  in  advance, 
rode  forward  to  a  Bushman  village,  on  an  ascent  some 
hundred  yards  from  the  river.  I  went,  because  my  horse 
would  go,  towards  a  little  pool  on  a  dry  branch,  from 
which  the  flood  or  torrent  had  receded  to  the  larger  course. 
Dismounting,  I  pushed   through  a  narrow  opening  in  the 


112  KINDNESS   OF   THE    BUSHMEN. 

bushes,  and  lying  down,  took  a  hearty  draught.  Immedi- 
ately on  raising  myself  I  felt  an  unusual  taste  in  my  mouth, 
and  looking  attentively  at  the  water,  and  the  temporary 
fence  around,  it  flashed  across  my  mind  that  the  water  was 
poisoned  for  the  purpose  of  killing  game.  I  came  out,  and 
meeting  one  of  our  number,  who  had  been  a  httle  in  the  rear, 
just  entering,  told  him  my  suspicion. 

At  that  moment  a  Bushman  from  the  village  came  running 
breatliless,  and  apparently  terrified,  took  me  by  the  hand,  as 
if  to  prevent  my  going  to  the  water,  talking  with  great  ex- 
citement, though  neither  I  nor  my  companions  could  under- 
stand him ;  but  when  I  made  signs  that  I  had  drank,  he  was 
speechless  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  then  ran  off  to  the  vil- 
lage, I  followed ;  and  on  again  dismounting,  as  I  was  be- 
ginning to  think  for  the  last  time,  the  poor  Bushmen  and 
women  looked  on  me  with  eyes  which  bespoke  heartfelt  com- 
passion. My  companions  expected  me  to  fall  down  every 
moment ;  not  one  spoke.  Observing  the  downcast  looks  of 
the  poor  Bushmen,  I  smiled,  and  this  seemed  to  operate  on 
them  like  an  electric  shock,  for  all  began  to  babble  and  sing; 
the  women  striking  their  elbows  against  their  naked  sides, 
expressive  of  their  joy.  However,  I  began  to  feel  a  violent 
turmoil  within,  and  a  fulness  of  the  system,  as  if  the  arteries 
would  burst,  while  the  pulsation  was  exceedingly  quick, 
being  accompanied  with  a  slight  giddiness  in  the  head.  We 
made  the  natives  understand  that  I  wanted  the  fruit  of  the 
solanum,  which  grows  in  those  quarters  nearly  the  size  and 
shape  of  an  egg^,  and  which  acts  as  an  emetic.  They  ran 
in  all  directions,  but  sought  in  vain.  By  this  time  I  was 
covered  with  a  profuse  perspiration,  and  drank  largely  of 
pure  water.  The  strange  and  painful  sensation  which  I  had 
experienced  gradually  wore  away,  though  it  was  not  entirely 
removed  for  some  days* 

I  was  deeply  affected  by  the  sympathy  of  these  poor  Bush- 
men, to  whom  we  were  utter  strangers.  When  they  saw 
me  laugh,  they  deafened  our  ears  with  expressions  of  satis- 
faction, making  a  croaking  and  clicking,  of  which  their  lan- 
guage seemed  to  be  made  up.     And  these  barbarians  to  the 

♦  The  materials  used  by  the  Bushmen,  for  the  purpose  of  poisoning 
water,  are  principally  bulbs,  called  by  the  colonists  s^ift  bol,  (poison  bulb,) 
the  AniarifUis  ioxicaria,  which  possesses  a  strong  alkali;  some  species  of 
the  Euphorbia,  and  other  vegetable  substances.  The  venom  of  the  ser- 
pent they  prefer  for  their  arrows  ;  and  they  will  even,  if  opportunity  offers, 
have  recourse  to  that  to  poison  small  fountains,  when  the  water  is  nearly 
stagnant,  in  order  to  cut  off  their  pursuers. 


AimiVAL    AT   KWEES.  113 

letter  "  showed  us  no  little  kindness,"  for  they  gave  us  some 
meat  of  zehras,  which  had  died  from  drinking  the  same 
water  on  the  preceding  day.  This  was  very  acceptable  ; 
for  having  fasted  that  day,  we  were  all  ready  for  a  meal ; 
and,  though  the  poisoned  water  had  partially  blunted  my 
appetite,  I  enjoyed  a  steak  of  the  black  looking  flesh  mingled 
with  its  yellow  fat. 

Oil  leaving  the  next  morning,  I  gave  these  poor  people  a 
good  share  of  our  small  stock  of  tobacco,  which  set  them  all 
dancing  like  merry  Andrews,  blessing  our  visit  with  the  most 
fantastic  gestures  It  grieved  me,  that  from  the  want  of  an 
interpreter,  I  could  say  but  little  to  them  about  Him  who 
came  to  redeem  the  poor  and  the  needy. 

These  people  had  come  down  from  the  desert  on  the  north 
in  search  of  water,  and  were  subsisting  by  the  chase,  by 
catching  a  solitary  animal  in  a  pit-fall,  or  else  destroying  it 
with  water  poisoned  by  an  infusion  of  bulbs,  or  other  roots. 
They  were  evidently  living  in  some  fear  of  the  Corannas  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  whose  cattle  form  a  tempting 
bait  to  these  hungry  wanderers.  Thinking,  and  justly  too, 
that  some  part  of  the  earth's  surface  must  be  theirs,  they  na- 
turally imagine  that  if  their  game  is  shot,  and  their  honey 
pilfered,  they  have  a  right  to  reprisals,  according  to  natural 
law,  and  therefore  cannot  re.sist  the  temptation  of  seizing  the 
property  of  their  more  wealthy  neighbours,  when  it  lies  with- 
in reach. 

On  the  seventh  day  we  reached  that  part  of  the  river  call- 
ed Q,uis  or  Kwees,  from  which  we  intended  to  go  in  a  direct 
course  to  Griqua  Town,  leaving  the  Orange  River  far  to  the 
right.  We  had  previously  made  inquiries  about  the  country 
which  lay  between  :  some  said  there  was  water ;  others,  that 
we  should  find  none.  We  had  eaten  a  small  portion  of  meat 
that  morning,  reserving  only  enough  for  one  single  meal,  lest 
we  should  get  no  more  :  and  drank  freely  of  water,  to  keep 
the  stomach  distended  ;  and  felt  tolerably  comfortable.  At 
night  we  came  to  some  old  huts,  where  were  remains  of  to- 
bacco gardens,  which  had  been  watered  with  wooden  vessels 
from  the  adjoining  river.  We  spent  the  evening  in  one  of 
these  huts  ;  though,  from  certain  holes  for  ingress  and  egress, 
it  was  evidently  a  domicile  for  hyenas,  and  other  beasts  of 
prey.  We  had  scarcely  ended  our  evening  song  of  praise  to 
Him  whose  watchful  care  had  guided  and  preserved  us 
through  the  day,  when  the  distant  and  dolorous  howls  of  the 
hyena,  and  the  no  less  inharmonious  jabbering  of  the  jackal, 
announced  the   kind  of  company  with    which  we  were  to 

10*. 


114  SOME   OF    THE   PARTY   WANDER. 

spend  the  night ;  while,  from  the  river,  the  hippopotami  kept 
up  a  blowing  and  snorting  chorus.  Our  sleep  was  anything 
but  sweet.  On  the  addition  of  the  dismal  notes  of  the  hoot- 
ing owl,  one  of  our  men  remarked,  "  We  want  only  the 
lion's  roar  to  complete  the  music  of  the  desert."  "  Were 
they  as  sleepy  and  tired  as  I  am,"  said  another,  "  they  would 
find  something  else  to  do."  In  the  morning  we  found  that 
some  of  these  night  scavengers  had  approached  very  near 
the  door  of  our  hut. 

Having  refreshed  ourselves  with  a  bathe  and  a  draught  of 
water,  we  prepared  for  the  thirsty  road  Ave  had  to  traverse  ; 
but,  before  starting,  a  council  was  held,  whether  we  should 
finish  the  last  small  portion  of  meat,  which  any  one  might 
have  devoured  in  a  minute,  or  reserve  it.  The  decision  was 
to  keep  it  till  evening.  We  sought  in  vain  for  ixia  bulbs. 
Our  only  resource,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country, 
was  to  fill  ourselves  with  as  much  water  as  our  bodies  could 
contain.  We  had  no  vessels  in  which  to  carry  it ;  and  if  we 
had,  our  horses  were  not  equal  to  more  than  the  carriage  of 
our  person.s.  We  were  obliged  to  halt  during  the  day,  fear- 
ing our  horses  would  give  up,  from  the  excessive  heat.  When 
the  evening  drew  on,  we  had  to  ascend  and  descend  several 
sand-hills,  which,  weary  and  faint  from  two  day's  fasting, 
was  to  us  exceedingly  fatiguing.  Vanderbyle  and  myself 
were  somewhat  in  advance  of  the  rest,  when  we  observed 
our  three  companions  remaining  behind  ;  but  supposing  they 
staid  to  strike  light  and  kindle  their  pipes,  we  thoughtlessly 
rode  forward.  Having  proceeded  some  distance,  we  halted, 
and  hallooed,  but  received  no  reply.  We  fired  a  shot,  but 
no  one  answered.  We  pursued  our  journey  in  the  direction 
of  the  high  ground  near  the  Long  Mountains,  through  which 
our  path  lay.  On  reaching  a  bushless  plain,  we  alighted, 
and  made  a  fire :  another  shot  Avas  fired,  and  Ave  listened 
Avith  intense  earnestness  ;  but  gloomy,  desert  silence  reigned 
around.  We  conversed,  as  Avell  as  our  parched  lips  Avould 
alloAV,  on  what  must  be  done.  To  Avait  till  morning  Avould 
only  increase  the  length  of  our  suffering, — to  retrace  our  steps 
Avas  impossible  : — probably  they  had  Avandered  from  the  path, 
and  might  never  overtake  us : — at  the  same  Ave  felt  most 
reluctant  to  proceed.  We  had  just  determined  to  remain, 
Avhen  Ave  thought  we  would  fire  one  more  shot.  It  Avas  an- 
SAA'ered — by  the  lion,  apparently  close  to  the  place  Avhere  Ave 
stood.  No  wood  was  at  hand  to  make  a  fire,  nothing  but 
tufts  of  grass ;  so  we  ran,  and  remounted  our  horses,  urging 
them  on  towards  a  range  of  dark  mountains,  the  gloom  in- 


PURSUED    BY   A   LION.  115 

creasing  as  we  proceeded ;  but  as  our  horses  could  not  o;o 
much  above  a  walking  pace,  we  were  in  dread  every  moment 
of  being  overtaken.  If  we  drew  up  to  listen,  his  approach 
in  the  rear  was  distinctly  heard.  On  reaching  the  winding 
glen  or  pass  through  the  mountains,  despairing  of  escape 
from  our  enemy,  we  resolved  to  ascend  a  steep,  where,  I'roni 
a  precipice,  we  might  pelt  him  with  stones  ;  Ibr  we  had  only 
a  couple  of  balls  left.  On  dragging  ourselves  and  our  horses 
up  the  steep,  we  found  the  supposed  refuge  too  uneven  for  a 
standing-place,  and  not  one  fragment  of  loose  stone  to  be 
found.  Our  situation  was  now  doubly  dangerous  ;  for,  on 
descending  to  the  path,  the  query  was,  on  which  side  is  the 
lion  ?  My  companion  took  his  steel  and  flint,  to  try,  by  strik- 
ing them,  if  he  could  not  discover  traces  of  the  lion's  paws 
on  the  path,  expecting  every  moment  that  he  would  bound 
on  one  of  us.  The  terror  of  the  horses  soon  told  us  that  the 
object  of  our  dread  was  close  to  us,  but  on  the  right  side, 
namely,  in  our  rear.  We  instantly  remounted,  and  continu- 
ed to  pursue  the  track,  which  we  had  sometimes  great  diffi- 
culty in  tracing  along  its  zig-zag  windings,  among  bushes, 
stones  and  sand.  The  dark  towering  clifis  around  us,  the 
deep  sileuce  of  which  was  disturbed  by  the  grunt  of  a  soli- 
tary baboon,  or  the  squalling  of  some  of  its  young  ones,  add- 
ed to  the  colouring  of  the  night's  picture.  We  had  not  pro- 
ceeded very  far  before  the  lion  gave  a  tremendous  roar, 
which,  echoing  from  precipice  to  precipice,  sounded  as  if  we 
were  within  a  lion's  den.  On  reaching  the  egress  of  the  de- 
file through  which  we  had  passed,  we  were  cheered  by  the 
waning  moon,  rising  bright  in  the  east.  Descending  again, 
we  would  gladly  have  laid  our  weary  limbs  down  to  rest ; 
but  thirst,  and  the  possibility  of  the  lion's  resolving  to  make 
his  supper  on  one  of  us,  propelled  our  weary  steps,  for  our 
horses  were  completely  jaded. 

We  continued  our  slow  and  silent  march  for  hours.  Trie 
tongue  cleaving  to  the  roof  of  the  mouth  from  thirst,  made 
conversation  extremely  difficult.  At  last  we  reached  the 
long-wished-for  "  waterfall,"  so  named,  because  when  it 
rains,  water  sometimes  fall,  though  in  small  quantities ;  but 
it  was  too  late  to  ascend  the  hill.  We  allowed  our  poor 
worn-out  horses  to  go  where  they  pleased,  and  having  kin- 
dled a  small  fire,  and  produced  a  little  saliva  by  smoking  a 
pipe,  we  talked  about  our  lost  companions,  v.iio  h.appened 
for  their  comfort  to  have  the  morsel  of  meat,  and  who,  as 
Jantye  thought,  would  wander  from  the  position  in  wliich 
we  left  them  towards  the  river.  We  bowed  the  knee  to  Him 


116  EXTREME    HUNGER   AND   THIRST. 

who  had  mercifully  preserved  us,  and  laid  our  heads  on  our 
saddles.  The  last  sound  we  heard  to  soothe  us,  was  the 
distant  roar  of*  the  lion,  but  we  were  too  much  exhausted  to 
feel  any  thing  like  fear.  Sleep  came  to  our  relief,  and  it 
seemed  made  up  of  scenes  the  most  lovely,  forming  a  glow- 
ing contrast  to  our  real  situation.  I  felt  as  if  engaged  dur- 
ing my  short  repose,  in  roving  among  ambrosial  bowers  of 
paradisaical  delight,  hearing  sounds  of  music,  as  if  from  an- 
gel's harps ;  it  was  the  night  wind  falling  on  my  ears  from 
the  neighbouring  hill.  I  seemed  to  pass  from  stream  to 
stream,  in  which  I  bathed  and  slaked  my  thirst  at  many  a 
crystal  fount,  flowing  from  golden  mountains  enriched  with 
living  green.  These  Elysian  pleasures  continued  till  morn- 
ing dawn,  when  we  awoke,  speechless  with  thirst,  our  eyes 
inflamed,  and  our  whole  frames  burning  hke  a  coal.  We 
were,  however,  somewhat  less  fatigued,  but  wanted  water, 
and  had  recourse  to  another  pipe  before  we  could  articulate 
a  word. 

My  companion  then  directed  me  to  a  projecting  rock, 
near  the  top  of  the  hill,  where,  if  there  were  water  at  all, 
it  w^ould  be  found.  I  took  up  the  gun  to  proceed  in  that  di- 
rection, while  he  went  in  search  of  the  horses,  which  we 
feared  might  have  been  devoured  by  the  lion.  I  ascended 
the  rugged  height  to  the  spot  where  water  once  was,  but 
found  it  as  dry  as  the  sandy  plain  beneath.  I  stood  a  few 
minutes,  stretching  my  languid  eye  to  see  if  there  were  any 
appearance  of  the  horses,  but  saw  nothing  ;  turning  to  de- 
scend, I  happened  to  cough,  and  was  instantly  surrounded 
by  almost  a  hundred  baboon.s,  some  of  gigantic  size.  They 
grunted,  grinned,  and  sprang  from  stone  to  stone,  protruding 
their  mouths,  and  drawing  back  the  skin  of  their  l"orehead.s, 
threatening  an  instant  attack.  I  kept  parrying  them  with 
my  gun,  which  was  loaded ;  but  I  knew  their  character  and 
disposition  too  well  to  fire,  for  if  I  had  wounded  one  of  them, 
I  should  have  been  skinned  in  five  minutes.  The  ascent 
was  very  laborious,  but  I  would  have  given  any  thing  to  be 
at  the  bottom  of  the  hill  again.  Some  came  so  near  as 
even  to  touch  my  hat  while  passing  projecting  rocks.  It 
was  some  time  before  I  reached  the  plain,  when  they  ap- 
peared to  hold  a  noisy  council,  either  about  what  they  had 
done,  or  intended  doing.  Levelling  my  piece  at  two  that 
seemed  the  most  fierce,  as  I  was  about  to  touch  the  trigger, 
the  thought  occurred,  I  have  escaped,  let  me  be  thankful  ; 
therefore  I  left  them  uninjured,  perhaps  with  the  gratifica- 
tion of  having  given  me  a  fright. 


DESCRIPTION   OP   THE   MIRAGE.  117 

Jantye  soon  appeared  with  the  horses.  IVIy  looks,  more 
expressive  than  words,  convincing  hiin  there  was  no  water, 
we  saddled  the  poor  animals,  whi(;h,  though  they  had  picked 
up  a  little  grass,  looked  miserahle  beyond  description.  We 
now  directed  our  course  towards  Witte  water,  where  we 
could  scarcely  hope  to  arrive  before  afternoon,  even  if  we 
reached  it  at  all,  ibr  we  were  soon  obliged  to  dismount,  and 
drive  our  horses  slowly  and  silently  over  the  glowing  plain, 
where  the  delusive  mirage  tantalized  our  feelings  with  exhi- 
bitions  of  the  loveliest  pictures,  of  lakes  and  pools  studded 
with  lovely  islets,  and  towering  trees  moving  in  the  breeze 
on  their  banks.  In  some  might  be  seen  the  bustle  of  a  mer- 
cantile harbour,  with  jetties,  coves,  and  moving  rafts  and 
oars  ;  in  others,  lakes  so  lovely,  as  if  they  had  just  come 
from  the  hand  of  tlie  Divine  artist,  a  transcript  of  Eden's 
sweetest  views,  but  all  the  result  of  highly  rarefied  air,  or 
the  reflected  heat  of  the  sun's  rays  on  the  sultry  plain. 
Some  tunes,  when  tlie  horses  and  my  companion  was  some 
hundred  yards  in  advance,  they  appeared  as  if  lifted  from 
the  earth,  or  moving  like  dark  living  pillars  in  the  air.* 
Many  a  time  did  we  seek  old  ant  hills,  excavated  by  the 
ant-eater,  into  which  to  thrust  our  heads,  in  order  to  have 
something  solid  between  our  fevered  brains  and  the  piercing 
j-ays  of  the  sun.     Tiiere  w^as  no  shadow  of  a  great  rock,  the 

*  The  following  remarks  on  the  general  appearance  of  the  mirage,  taken 
from  Belzoni's  "  Narrative  of  his  Operations  and  Researches  in  Egypt," 
will  not  be  uninteresting: — "  It  generally  appears  like  a  still  lake,  so  un- 
moved by  the  wind,  that  every  thing  above  is  to  be  seen  most  distinctly  re- 
flected by  it.  If  the  wind  agitate  any  of  the  plants  that  rise  above  the  horizon 
of  the  mirage,  the  motion  is  seen  perfectly  at  a  great  distance.  If  the  traveller 
stand  elevated  much  above  the  mirage,  the  apparent  water  seems  less  united 
and  less  deep;  for,  as  the  eyes  look  down  upon  it,  there  is  not  thickness 
enough  in  the  vapour  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  to  conceal  the  earth 
froai  the  sight ;  but  if  the  traveller  be  on  a  level  with  the  horizon  of  the 
mirage,  he  cannot  see  through  it,  so  that  it  ap{)ears  to  him  clear  water. 
By  putting  my  head  first  to  the  ground,  and  then  mounting  a  camel,  the 
height  of  which  might  have  been  about  ten  feet  at  the  most,  I  found  a 
great  difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  mirage.  On  approaching  it,  it 
becomes  thinner,  and  appears  as  if  agitated  by  the  wind,  like  a  field  of 
ripe  corn.  It  gradually  vanishes  as  the  traveller  approaches,  and  at  last 
entirely  disappears  when  he  is  on  the  spot." 

This  phenomena  is  called  by  the  Bechuanas  "Moenene,"  and,  there- 
fore, parched  ground,  in  Isaiah  xxxv.  7,  translated,  glowing  sand,  by  Dr. 
I^owth  and  others,  I  have  rendered  by  this  term  in  that  language.  It  is 
produced,  as  Dr.  Hartwell  Home  correctly  remarks,  in  his  "Introduction 
to  the  Critical  Study  of  the  Scriptures,"  "by  a  diminution  of  the  density 
of  the  lower  stratum  of  the  atmosphere,  which  is  carried  by  the  increase 
of  heat,  arising  from  that  communicated  by  the  rays  of  tlxe  sun  to  the 
sand,  with  which  this  stratum  is  in  immediate  contact." 


118  DESPERATE  CIRCUMSTANCES. 

shrubs  sapless,  barren,  and  blighted,  as  if  by  some  blast  of 
fire.  Nothing  animate  was  to  be  seen  or  heard,  except  the 
shrill  chirping  of  a  beetle  resembling  the  cricket,  the  noise 
of  which  seemed  to  increase  with  the  intensity  of  the  heat. 
Not  a  cloud  had  been  seen  since  we  left  our  homes. 

We  felt  an  irresistible  inclination  to  remain  at  any  bush 
which  could  afford  the  least  shelter  from  the  noonday's  sun, 
the  crown  of  the  head  having  the  sensation  as  if  covered 
with  live  coal,  and  the  mind  wandering.  My  companion 
became  rather  wild.  Having  been  anxious  to  spare  him  all 
the  toil  possible,  I  had  for  a  long  time  carried  the  gun  ;  he 
asked  for  it,  apparently  to  relieve  me,  but  his  motions  were 
such  that  I  was  glad  to  recover  possession  of  it. 

My  difficulties  and  anxieties  were  now  becoming  painful 
in  the  extreme,  not  knowing  any  thing  of  the  road,  which 
was  in  some  places  hardly  discernible,  and  in  my  faithful 
guide  hope  had  died  away.  The  horses  moved  at  the  slow- 
est pace,  and  that  only  when  driven,  which  effort  was  labo- 
rious in  the  extreme.  Speech  was  gone,  and  every  thing 
expressed  by  signs,  except  when  we  had  recourse  to  a  pipe, 
and  for  which  we  now  began  to  lose  our  relish.  After  sit- 
ting a  long  while  under  a  bush,  oh  !  what  a  relief  I  felt  when 
my  guide  pointed  to  a  distant  hill,  near  to  which  water  lay. 
Courage  revived,  but  it  was  with  pain  and  labour  that  we 
reached  it  late  in  the  afternoon.  Having  still  sufficient 
judgnnent  not  to  go  at  once  to  drink,  it  was  with  great  diffi- 
culty I  prevented  my  companion  doing  that,  which  would 
almost  instantly  have  proved  fatal  to  him.  Our  horses  went 
to  the  pool,  and  consumed  nearly  all  the  water,  for  it  ap- 
peared that  some  wild  horses  had  shortly  before  slaked  their 
thirst  at  this  spot,  leaving  for  us  but  little,  and  that  polluted. 

Becoming  cooler  after  a  little  rest,  we  drank,  and  tliough 
moving  with  animalcule,  muddy,  and  nauseous  with  filth,  it 
was  to  us  a  reviving  draught.  We  rested  and  drank,  till  the 
sun  sinking  in  the  west,  compelled  us  to  go  forward,  in  order 
to  reach  Griqua  Town  that  night.  Though  we  had  filled 
our  stomachs  with  water,  if  such  it  might  be  called,  for  it 
was  grossly  impure,  thirst  soon  returned  with  increased 
agony ;  and  painful  was  the  ride  and  walk,  for  they  were 
alternate,  until  we  reached  at  a  late  hour  the  abode  of  IMr. 
Anderson, 

Entering  the  door  speechless,  haggard,  emaciated,  and 
covered  with  perspiration  and  dust,  I  soon  procured  by  signs, 
that  universal  language,  for  myself  and  my  companion  a 
draught  of  water.     Mr.  A.,  expecting  such  a  visitor  from  the 


ARRIVE    AT   GKIQUA   TOWN.  119 

moon,  as  soon  as  from  Namaqna-land,  was  not  a  little  sur- 
prised to  find  who  it  was.  Kind-hearted  Mrs.  A.  instantly- 
prepared  a  cup  of  coffee  and  some  food,  which  I  had  not 
tasted  for  tlu'ee  days  ;  and  I  felt  all  the  powers  of  soul  revive, 
as  if  I  had  talked  with  angels — it  was  to  me  a  "  feast  of 
reason  and  a  flow  of  soul." 

Retiring  to  rest,  the  couch,  though  hard,  appeared  to  me 
a  downy  bed;  I  begged  Mr.  A.  just  to  place  within  my 
reach  half  a  bucket  of  water ;  this  he  kindly  and  prudently 
refused,  but  left  me  with  a  full  tumbler  of  unusual  size  ;  such, 
however,  was  my  fevered  condition,  that  no  sooner  was  he 
gone  than  I  drank  the  whole.  After  reviewing  the  past,  and 
looking  upward  with  adoring  gratitude,  I  fell  asleej),  and 
aro.se  in  the  morning  as  fresh  as  if  I  had  never  seen  a  desert, 
nor  felt  its  thirst.  We  remained  here  a  few  days,  in  the 
course  of  which  our  lost  companions  arrived,  having,  as  we 
rightly  supposed,  wandered  towards  the  riv^er,  and  escaped 
the  thirst  which  had  nearly  terminated  our  career  in  the 
desert. 

The  society  of  the  brethren  Anderson  and  Helm,  with 
their  partners  in  labour,  was  most  refreshing  to  my  soul.  A 
crowded  and  attentive  congregation,  and  the  buzz  of  the 
daily  school,  made  me  forget  the  toils  of  the  road,  and  cheer- 
fully did  I  bear  my  testimony  to  the  word  of  grace  which 
had  been  so  blessed  among  the  Griquas.  Wishing  to  visit 
Daniefs  Kuil,  Berend's  residence,  about  fifty  miles  north  of 
Griqua  Town,  and  also  Lattakoo,  on  the  Kuruman  River, 
nearly  as  far  beyond,  my  happiness  was  prolonged  Ijy  tlie 
company  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson,  who  had  promised  to 
visit  that  station.  On  this  journey  we  had  another  display 
of  a  kind  and  gracious  Providence.  After  leaving  Daniel's 
Kuil,  Nicholas  Berend,  who  was  wagon  driver  and  guide, 
lost  his  way  before  reaching  Camel  fountain.  This  obliged 
us  to  halt  short  of  the  water  ;  and  Nicholas,  who  was  an  in- 
telligent and  shrewd  man,  remarked  ajjain  and  again,  in  tlie 
course  of  the  evening,  that  it  was  a  very  my.sterious  thing 
that  he  should  lose  a  path  he  knew  so  well.  In  the  morning 
we  inyoked  the  wagons,  and  proceeded  to  the  water,  which 
lay  far  to  the  right ;  and  on  arriving  there,  we  saw,  to  our 
astonishment  and  instruction,  that  we  were  led  by  a  way  we 
knew  not,  for  there  had  been  several  large  lions  about  the 
water  pool  apparently  the  whole  night.  Had  we  arrived  as 
we  expected,  in  all  probability  the  oxen  would  have  taken 
fright,  and  occasioned  some  serious  accident. 

We  received  a  hearty  welcome  from  the  brethren  at  Lat- 


1 20  THUNDER-STOR  M. 

takoo,  where  we  stopped  some  days.  This  was  the  first 
time  I  had  seen  the  Bechuanas,  with  the  exception  of  a 
party  of  Batlaros,  who  visited  Africaner;  and  when  I  ad- 
dressed them  there,  and  now  again  in  their  own  country,  I 
little  anticipated  that  it  was  to  be  the  scene  of  my  future  la- 
bours. As  I  must  necessarily  occupy  a  considerable  portion 
of  this  work  with  the  Bechuana  mission,  it  will  be  unneces- 
sary to  refer  to  it  in  this  place. 

We  returned  to  Griqua  Town,  and  after  having  made 
every  inquiry  respecting  the  object  of  my  visit,  and  settled 
what  report  to  make  to  Africaner,  I  prepared  to  return  to 
Namaqualand,  and  here  I  might  close  the  record  of  my 
journey,  were  it  not  my  wish  to  show  the  sad  reverse  of  cir- 
cumstances which  sometimes  befalls  the  African  equestrian 
in  a  houseless  desert. 

In  the  afternoon,  when  bidding  farewell  to  the  dear  bre- 
thren, with  whom  I  could  have  wished  to  pass  a  month,  Mr. 
A.  remarked  that  the  weather  to  the  westward  looked  like  a 
storm,  but  as  these  appearances  often  pass  over  without  a 
drop  of  rain,  we  set  off,  and,  trusting  to  the  strength  of  our 
recruited  horses,  we  hoped  to  pass  through  the  desert  to  the 
Orange  River,  without  much  suffering.  Mrs.  A.  had  pro- 
vided us  with  some  biscuit,  wliich  one  of  the  men  placed  in 
a  sack  also  containing  tobacco.  We  intended  to  sleep  at 
Witte  Water  that  night,  but  long  before  we  reached  that 
place,  we  were  overtaken  by  an  awful  storm  of  thunder. 
The  peals  were  deafening,  and  our  horses  frequently  started 
from  each  other  at  the  vivid  glare  of  the  lightning.  It 
poured  torrents,  so  that  by  the  time  we  reached  the  spot 
where  we  intended  to  halt,  we  were  drenched  to  the  .skin. 
We  let  our  horses  go,  and  sat  down  like  half-drowned  cocks, 
at  a  bush  which  could  afford  us  no  shelter,  either  from  wind 
or  rain.  After  the  vehemence  of  the  storm  had  abated,  we 
began  to  think  what  must  be  done,  for  by  the  falling  hail 
and  the  piercing  Vvdnd,  we  trembled  as  if  we  should  die  with 
cold.  After  much  patient  search,  we  found  a  very  few  sub- 
stances capable  of  ignition,  and  struck  a  light  in  the  only 
box  where  the  tinder  was  dry,  but  in  vain  we  looked  for  fuel 
to  supply  our  fire  ;  we  threw  most  of  our  clothes  off,  for  the 
suffering  with  them  on  was  unbearable,  and  leaving  one  to 
blow  the  fire,  we  sallied  forth  in  quest  of  materials  to  burn. 
At  some  distance  Ave  succeeded  in  gathering  a  few  small 
branches,  when  we  found  at  least  four  hyenas  looking  on  in 
a  most  daring;  manner,  and  resolved  to  attack  us.  Such  as 
had  both  hands  occupied,  soon  relieved  one,  and  with  stones 


A   WET   night's   lodging.  121 

scared  tliem  a  little.  But,  alas !  the  light  of  the  little  fire 
we  had  left,  had  disappeared,  and  we  knew  not  the  direc- 
tion from  which  we  had  come.  We  shouted  to  the  man 
who  had  remained  with  it,  hut  no  answer,  save  the  ugly- 
howl  of  the  h5^enas.  Now  we  were  completely  bewildered, 
every  one  pointing  in  a  different  direction,  as  that  in  wliich 
we  had  come.  A  second  storm  pelted  us  most  unmercifully, 
and  the  wind  seemed  to  penetrate  through  and  through  our 
almost  naked  frames.  After  a  long  search,  we  found  the 
little  bush,  the  man  asleep,  and  the  fire  out.  We  threw 
down  our  crow-nests  which  we  had  gathered  for  fuel,  re- 
solving to  brave  it  out ;  but  the  prospect  was  horrible,  of 
shivering  till  the  next  day's  sun  should  warm  us.  Each  lay 
down  in  a  lump,  on  a  goat-skin,  which  had  served  as  a  sad- 
dle-cloth. Two  of  us  tried  to  get  down  to  dry  earth,  for 
though  there  had  been  a  stream  on  the  ground,  it  was 
scarcely  six  inches  deep.  Beyond  our  expectation,  we  fell 
asleep,  and  as  I  lay  rather  lower  than  some  of  my  comrades, 
the  rain  and  sand  buried  nearly  the  half  of  my  body.  It 
would  be  vain  attempting  to  describe  my  feelings  on  awaking 
at  day-break,  stiff,  cold,  and  dizzy  ;  my  hair  clotted  with 
mud.  We  crawled  off  to  the  pool  of  rain-water,  and  though 
very  thick,  we  enjoyed  a  thorough  ablution  ;  after  wringing 
the  water  out  of  our  clothes,  we  put  them  on  as  they  were, 
being  obliged  to  proceed-  Before  starting,  we  resolved  to 
have  a  dehghtful  taste  of  our  biscuit,  but,  alas!  when  the 
contents  of  our  bag  were  turned  out,  we  found  that  the  rain 
having  saturated  the  ^obacco  and  biscuit,  the  latter  was  re- 
duced to  a  dark-brown  paste  ;  smokers  as  we  were,  this  dish 
was  too  unpalatable  for  us,  and  a  good  draught  of  muddy 
water  had  to  supply  the  deficiency. 

As  the  sun  arose  towards  the  meridian,  the  heat  became 
excessive  ;  and  if  we  had  been  nearly  frozen  at  night,  we 
were  almost  scorched  during  the  day  5  and  before  Ave  reached 
water  the  following  night,  we  would  have  given  a  crown  for 
a  bottle  of  that  in  which  we  had  washed  in  the  morning. 
Our  return  was  little  difierent  from  our  outward  journey, 
"  in  fastings  oft."  A  kind  Providence  watched  over  us,  and 
in  some  cases  remarkably  interposed  in  our  behalf,  which 
the  following  incident  will  show.  We  had  passed  the  night 
without  food  ;  and  after  a  long  day's  ride,  the  sun  was  de- 
scending on  us,  with  little  prospect  of  meeting  with  any 
thing  to  assuage  the  pains  of  hunger,  when,  as  we  were  de- 
scending from  the  high  ground,  weak  and  Aveary,  we  saw, 
at  a  great  distance,  on  the  opposite  ridge,  a  line  of  dust  ap- 

11 


122  RETURN    TO   THE    STATION. 

preaching',  with  the  fleetnessof  the  ostrich.  It  proved  to  be 
a  spring  buck,  closely  pursued  by  a  wild  dog,  which  must 
have  brought  it  many  miles,  for  it  was  seized  within  two 
hundred  yards  of  the  spot  where  we  stood,  and  instantly 
despatched.  We,  of  course,  thankfully  took  possession  of  his 
prize,  the  right  to  which  the  wild  dog  seemed  much  inclined 
to  dispute  with  us.  I  proposed  to  leave  half  of  it  for  the 
pursuer.  "  No,"  said  one  of  my  men,  "  he  is  not  so  hungry 
as  we  are,  or  he  would  not  run  so  fast." 

The  night  before  reaching  home  we  had  rather  a  narrow 
escape  from  a  sea-cow  (hippopotamus.)  We  were  obliged 
to  cross  the  river,  which  could  only  be  effected  by  passing 
over  two  low  islands,  nearly  covered  with  reeds  and  jungle. 

They  were  a  great  distance  from  each  other,  and  it  was 
now  nearly  dark.  We  had  just  reached  the  first,  when  a 
sea-cow  came  furiously  up  the  stream,  snorting  so  loud  as  to 
be  echoed  back  from  the  dark  overhanging  precipices. 
Younker  Africaner  shouted  out  to  me  to  escape,  and,  spring- 
ing from  his  horse,  which  appeared  petrified,  he  seized  a 
large  stone,  and  hurled  it  at  the  monster  of  the  deep,  for  our 
guns  were  both  out  of  order.  The  enraged  animal  then 
made  for  the  next  ford,  through  which  two  of  us  were 
forcing  our  horses,  up  to  the  saddle  in  a  rapid  torrent.  A 
moment's  delay  on  our  part  would  have  been  fatal  to  one 
or  both  of  us.  The  other  three  men  remained  till  the  infu- 
riated animal  had  got  again  into  the  rear,  when  they  also 
escaped  to  the  second  island,  Avhere  expecting  another 
encounter,  we  made  the  best  of  our  way  to  the  mainland, 
effectually  drenched  with  perspiration  and  water.  We  soon 
after  reached  a  village  of  our  own  people  ;  and  it  was  with 
the  liveliest  gratitude  to  our  heavenly  Father  that  we 
reviewed  the  mercies  of  the  day.  These  animals,  in  their 
undisturbed  lakes  and  pool.«,  are  generally  timid,  and  will 
flee  at  the  approach  of  man  ;  but  when  they  have  been 
hunted  and  wounded,  from  year  to  year,  they  become  very 
dangerous,  as  the  following  fact  will  prove.  A  native,  with 
his  boy,  went  to  the  river  to  hunt  sea-cows.  Seeing  one  at 
a  short  distance  below  the  island,  the  man  passed  through 
a  narrow  stream,  to  get  nearer  the  object  of  his  pursuit 
He  fired,  but  missed  ;  and  the  animal  instantly  made  for 
the  island ;  and  the  man,  seeing  his  danger,  ran  to  cross  to 
the  bank  of  the  river ;  but,  before  reaching  it,  the  sea-cow 
seized  him,  and  literally  severed  his  body  in  two  with  its 
jmonstrous  jaws. 

A  detail  of  our  journey  was  laid  before  Africaner.     The 


JOURNEY   TO    CAPE   TOWN.  123 

"whole  of  our  researches  gave  him  entire  satisfaction,  when 
it  was  resolved  that  his  removal  should  remain  prospective 
for  a  season.  My  labours  were  resumed,  but  the  drought 
was  severe,  and  great  hunger  prevailed  in  the  place.  The 
means  of  grace,  however,  were  well  attended,  and  a  delight- 
ful unction  of  the  Spirit  realized,  especially  in  -our  sabbath 
convocations ;  and  so  strong  was  the  attachment  of  the 
people  that,  although  I  was  contemplating  a  visit  to  the 
Cape,  I  dared  not  mention  the  subject. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

While  engaged  in  an  interesting  conversation  with  Afri- 
caner on  the  state  and  prospect  of  the  mission  in  connexion 
with  the  barrier  to  civilization,  not  only  from  the  state  of 
country  and  climate,  but  also  from  the  want  of  intercourse 
with  the  colony,  the  idea  darted  into  my  mind,  that  Africa- 
ner would  do  well  to  accompany  me  to  Cape  Town ;  and  I 
at  once  made  the  proposal.  The  good  man  looked  at  me 
again  and  again,  gravely  asking  whether  I  were  in  earnest, 
and  seemed  fain  to  ask  if  I  were  in  my  senses  too  ;  adding, 
with  great  fervour,  "  I  had  thought  you  loved  me,  and  do  you 
advise  me  to  go  to  the  goverment,  to  be  hung  up  as  a  spec- 
tacle of  public  justice  ?"  and  putting  his  hand  to  his  head, 
he  asked,  "  Do  you  not  know  that  I  am  an  outlaw,  and  that 
1000  rix-dollars  have  been  offered  for  this  poor  head?" 
These  difficulties  I  endeavoured  to  remove,  by  assuring  him 
that  the  results  would  be  most  satisfactory  to  himself,  as  well 
as  to  the  Governor  of  the  Cape.  Here  Africaner  exhibited 
his  lively  faith  in  the  gracious  promises  of  God,  by  replying, 
"  I  shall  dehberate,  and  commit,  (or,  as  he  used  the  word 
according  to  the  Dutch  translation)  roll  my  way  upon  the 
Lord  ;   I  know  he  will  not  leave  me." 

During  three  days  this  subject  was  one  of  public  discussion, 
and  more  than  one  came  to  me  with  grave  looks,  asking  if 
I  had  advised  Africaner  to  go  to  the  Cape,  On  the  third 
day  the  point  was  decided,  and  we  made  preparations  for  our 
departure,  after  having  made  the  neccessary  arrangements 


124  THE  POWER  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

for  continuing  the  means  of  instruction  during  my  absence. 
Nearly  all  the  inhabitants  accompanied  us  half  a  day's  jour- 
ney to  the  banks  of  the  Orange  River,  where  we  had  to  wait 
several  days,  it  having  overflowed  all  its  banks.  The  kind- 
ness of  the  people,  and  the  tears  which  were  shed  when  we 
parted  from  them,  were  deeply  affecting. 

Arriving  at  Pella,  (the  place  as  before  stated,  to  which 
some  of  the  people  from  Warm  Bath  had  retired  when  the 
latter  was  destroyed  by  Africaner,)  we  had  a  feast  fit  for 
heaven-born  souls,  and  subjects  to  which  the  seraphim  above 
might  have  tuned  their  golden  lyres.  Men  met  who  had  not 
seen  each  other  since  they  had  joined  in  mutual  combat  for 
each  other's  woe  ;  met — warrior  with  warrior,  bearing  in 
their  hands  the  olive  branch,  secure  under  the  panoply  of 
peace  and  love.  They  talked  of  Him  who  had  subdued 
both,  without  a  sword  or  spear,  and  each  bosom  swelled 
with  purest  friendship,  and  exhibited  another  trophy  destined 
to  adorn  the  triumph  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  under  whose 
banner  each  was  promoting  that  reign  in  which — 

'*  No  longer  hosts  encountering  hosts, 
Their  heaps  of  slain  deplore  ; 
They  hang  the  trumpet  in  the  hall, 
And  study  war  no  more." 

Here  I  again  met  with  Mr.  Bartlett  and  family,  who,  with 
the  chief  and  people  of  the  station,  loaded  us  with  kindness. 

We  spent  some  pleasant  days  while  the  subject  of  getting 
Africaner  safely  through  the  territories  of  the  farmers  to  the 
Cape,  was  the  theme  of  much  conversation.  To  some  the 
step  seemed  somewhat  hazardous.  Africaner  and  I  had  fully 
discussed  the  point  before  leaving  the  station ;  and  1  was 
confident  of  success.  Though  a  chief,  there  was  no  need 
of  laying  aside  any  thing  like  royalty,  with  a  view  to  travel 
in  disguise.  Of  two  substantial  shirts  left,  I  gave  him  one  ; 
he  had  a  pair  of  leather  trowsers,  a  duffel  jacket,  much  the 
worse  for  wear,  and  an  old  hat,  neither  white  nor  black,  and 
my  own  garb  was  scarcely  more  refined.  As  a  further  pre- 
caution, it  was  agreed,  that  for  once  I  should  be  the  chief, 
and  that  he  should  assume  the  appearance  of  a  servant, 
when  it  was  desirable,  and  pass  for  one  of  my  attendants. 

Ludicrous  as  the  picture  may  appear,  the  subject  was  a 
grave  one,  and  the  season  solemn  and  important ;  often  did 
I  lift  up  my  heart  to  Him  in  whose  hands  are  the  hearts  of  all 
men,  that  his  presence  might  go  with  us.  It  might  here  be 
remarked,  once  for  all,  that  the  Dutch  farmers,  notwithstand- 


A   LUDICROUS    SCENE.  125 

ing  all  that  lias  been  said  against  them  by  some  travellers, 
are,  as  a  people,  exceedingly  hospitable  and  kind  to  stran- 
gers. Exceptions  there  are,  but  these  are  few,  and  perhaps 
more  rare  than  in  any  country  under  the  sun.  Some  of  these 
worthy  people  on  the  borders  of  the  colony,  congratulated 
me  on  returning  alive,  having  often  heard,  as  they  said,  that 
I  had  been  long  since  murdered  by  Africaner.  Much 
wonder  was  expressed  at  my  narrow  escape  from  such  a 
monster  of  cruelty,  the  report  having  been  spread  that  Mr. 
Ebner  had  just  escaped  by  the  skin  of  his  teeth.  While 
some  would  scarcely  credit  my  identity ;  my  testimony  as  to 
the  entire  reformation  of  Africaner's  character,  and  his  con- 
version, was  discarded  as  the  effusion  of  a  frenzied  brain. 
It  sometimes  afforded  no  little  entertainment  to  Africaner 
and  the  Namaquas,  to  hear  a  farmer  denounce  this  supposed 
irreclaimable  savage.  There  were  only  a  few,  however, 
who  were  sceptical  on  this  subject.  At  one  farm,  a  novel 
scene  exhibited  the  state  of  feeling  respecting  Africaner  and 
myself,  and  likewise  displayed  the  power  of  Divine  grace  under 
peculiar  circumstances.  It  was  neccessary,  from  the  scarcity  of 
water,  to  call  at  such  houses  as  lay  in  our  road.  The  farmer 
referred  to  was  a  good  man  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word; 
and  he  and  his  wife  had  both  shown  me  kindness  on  my  way 
to  Namaqua-land. 

On  approaching  the  house,  which  was  on  an  eminence,  1  | 
directed  my  men  to  take  the  wagon  to  the  valley  below,  \ 
while  I  walked  toward  the  house.  The  farmer,  seeing  a 
stranger,  came  slowly  down  the  descent  to  meet  me.  When 
within  a  few  yards,  I  addressed  him  in  the  usual  way,  and 
stretching  out  my  hand,  expressed  my  pleasure  at  seeing  / 
him  again.  He  put  his  hand  behind  him,  and  asked  me,  / 
rather  wildly,  who  I  was.  I  replied  that  I  was  Moffat, 
expressing  my  wonder  that  he  should  have  forgotten  me. 
"Moffat!"  he  rejoined,  in  a  faltering  voice;  "it  is  your 
ghost .'"  and  moved  some  steps  backward.  "  I  am  no 
ghost."  "Don't  come  near  me!"  he  exclaimed,  "you 
have  been  long  nuirdered  by  Africaner."  "  But  /  am  no 
ghost,"  I  said,  feeling  my  hands,  as  if  to  convince  him  and 
myself,  too,  of  my  materiality  ;  but  his  alarm  only  increased. 
"  Everybody  says  you  were  murdered  ;  and  a  man  told  me 
he  had  .seen  your  bones;"  and  he  continued  to  gaze  at  me, 
to  the  no  small  astoni.shment  of  the  good  wife  and  children, 
who  were  standing  at  the  door,  as  also  to  that  of  my  people, 
wlio  were  looking  on  from  the  wagon  below.  At  length  he 
extended  his  trembling  hand,  saying,  "  When  did  you  rise 

11* 


126  INCREDULITY   OF   A   FARMER. 

from  the  dead?"  As  he  feared  my  presence  would  alarm  his 
wile,  we  bent  our  steps  towards  the  wagon,  and  Africaner 
was  the  subject  of  our  conversation.  I  gave  him  in  a  few 
words  my  views  of  his  present  character,  saying,  ''  He  is 
now  a  truly  good  man."  To  which  he  replied,  "  1  can 
believe  almost  any  thing  you  say,  but  that  I  cannot  credit ; 
there  are  seven  wonders  in  the  world,  that  would  be  the 
eighth."  I  appealed  to  the  displays  of  Divine  grace  in  a 
Paul,  a  Manasseh,  and  referred  to  his  own  experience.  He 
replied,  these  were  another  description  of  men,  but  that 
Africaner  was  one  of  the  accursed  sons  of  Ham,  enumerating 
some  of  the  atrocities  of  which  he  had  been  guilty.  By  this 
time  we  were  standing  with  Africaner  at  our  feet,  on  whose 
countenance  sat  a  smile,  well  knowing  the  prejudices  of 
some  of  the  farmers.  The  farmer  closed  the  conversation 
by  saying,  with  much  earnestness,  "  Well,  if  what  you  assert 
be  true  respecting  that  man,  I  have  only  one  wish,  and  that 
is,  to  see  him  before  I  die  ;  and  when  you  return,  as  sure  as 
the  sun  is  over  our  heads,  I  will  go  with  you  to  see  him, 
though  he  killed  my  own  uncle."  I  was  not  before  aware 
of  this  fact,  and  now  felt  some  hesitation  whether  to  discover 
to  him  the  object  of  his  wonder ;  but  knowing  the  sincerity 
of  the  farmer,  and  the  goodness  of  his  disposition,  I  said, 
"This,  then,  is  Africaner!"  He  started  back,  looking  in- 
tensely at  the  man,  as  if  he  had  just  dropped  from  the 
clouds.  "Are  you  Africaner?"  he  exclaimed.  He  arose, 
doffed  his  old  hat,  and  making  a  polite  bow,  answered,  "  I 
am."  The  farmer  seemed  thunder-struck ;  but  when,  by  a 
few  questions,  he  had  assured  himself  of  the  fact,  that  the 
former  bugbear  of  the  border  stood  before  him,  now  meek 
and  lamb-like  in  his  whole  deportment,  he  lifted  up  his  eyes, 
•  and  exclaimed,  "O  God,  what  a  miracle  of  thy  power! 
what  cannot  thy  grace  accomplish!"  The  kind  farmer,  and 
his  no  less  hospitable  wife,  now  abundantly  supplied  our 
wants  ;  but  we  hastened  our  departure,  lest  the  intelligence 
might  get  abroad  that  Africaner  was  with  me,  and  bring 
unpleasant  visitors. 

On  arriving  at  Cape  Town,  I  waited  on  his  Excellency 
the  Governor,  Lord  Charles  Somerset,  who  appeared  to 
receive  with  considerable  scepticism,  my  testimony  that  I 
had  brought  the  far-famed  Africaner  on  a  visit  to  his  Excel- 
lency. The  following  day  was  appointed  for  an  interview, 
when  the  chief  was  received  by  Lord  Charles  with  great 
affability  and  kindness ;  and  he  expressed  his  pleasure  at 
seeing   thus   before   him,  one  who  had  formerly  been  the 


SENSATION    PRODUt'ED,  127 

scourge  of  the  country,  and  the  terror  of  the  border  colonists. 
His  Excellency  was  ei'^idently  much  struck  with  this  result 
of  missionary  enterprise,  the  benefit  of  which  he  had  some- 
times doubted.  I  remembered  when  I  first  arrived  at  Cape 
Town,  the  reply  to  my  memorial  for  permission  to  proceed 
to  my  destination  in  Great  Namaqua-land,  was,  that  his 
Excellency  had  cogent  reasons  for  not  complying  with  my 
request,  and  I  was  obliged  to  remain  eight  months  in  the 
colony  :  this  time  was  not,  however,  lost,  for  it  was  turned 
to  advantage  by  learning  the  Dutch  language,  and  attend- 
ing to  other  preliminaries  for  a  missionary  campaign.  What- 
ever he  might  think  of  his  former  views,  his  Excellency  was 
now  convinced  that  a  most  important  point  had  been  gained ; 
and,  as  a  testimony  of  his  good  feeling,  he  presented  Afri- 
caner with  an  excellent  wagon,  value  eighty  pounds  sterling. 

A  short  time  previous  to  my  visit  to  the  Cape,  a  deputa- 
tion from  the  London  Missionary  Society,  consisting  of  the 
Revds.  J.  Campbell  and  Dr.  Philip,  arrived  for  the  purpose 
of  examining  the  state  of  our  African  missions,  and  to  them 
Africaner's  visit  was  a  subject  of  deep  interest.  It  appeared 
to  be  one  of  the  happiest  moments  of  Mr.  Campbell's  life  to 
hold  converse  with  the  man,  at  whose  A'^ery  name,  on  his 
first  vi.sit  to  Namaqua-land,  he  had  trembled,  but  on  whom, 
ill  answer  to  many  prayers,  he  now  looked  as  a  brother  be- 
loved. Often  while  interpreting  for  Mr.  C,  in  his  inquiries, 
I  have  been  deeply  affected  with  the  overflow  of  soul  ex- 
perienced by  both,  while  rehearsing  the  scenes  of  bygone 
<iays.  ^ 

Africaners  appearance  in  Cape  Town,  excited  consider- 
able attention,  as  his  name  and  exploits  had  been  familiar  to 
many  of  it^  inhabitants  for  more  than  twenty  years.  Many 
were  struck  with  the  unexpected  mildness  and  gentleness  of 
his  demeanour,  and  others  with  his  piet}?^  and  accurate  know- 
ledge of  the  Scriptures.  His  New  Testament  was  an  inter- 
esting object  of  attention,  it  was  so  completely  thumbed  and 
worn  by  use.  His  answers  to  a  number  of  questions  put  to 
him  by  the  friends  in  Cape  Town,  and  at  a  public  meeting 
at  the  Paarl,  exhibited  his  diligence  as  a  student  in  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Gospel,  especially  when  it  is  remembered  that 
Africaner  never  saw  a  Catechism  in  his  life,  but  obtained  all 
his  knowledge  on  theological  subjects  from  a  careful  perusal 
of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  verbal  instructions  of  the  mis- 
sionary. 

My  object  in  coming  to  the  colony  was  twofold ;  to  pro- 
cure supplies,  and  to  introduce  Africaner  to  the  notice  of  the 


128  Africaner's  journey  to  lattakoo. 

Colonial  Government.  With  the  fullest  hope  of  returning 
to  my  flock,  who  had  now  become  exceedingly  dear  to  me, 
I  had  made  purchases  on  the  road  to  take  with  me  on  my 
return  ;  but  this  was  not  to  take  place,  for  it  was  the  wish  of 
the  Deputation,  that  I  should  accompany  them  in  their  visits 
to  the  missionary  stations,  and  eventually  be  appointed  to  the 
Bechuana  mission.  To  me  tliis  was  at  first  a  startling  pro- 
position, and  one  to  which  I  acceded  with  much  reluctance, 
and  not  till  Africaner  gave  his  entire  consent,  which  he  did 
with  great  diffidence  and  modesty,  having  some  slight  hope, 
in  which  I  concurred,  that  he  might  with  his  people  remove 
to  that  neighborhood,  having  been  frequently  invited  by  a 
tribe  of  the  Bechuanas,  parties  of  whom  were  wont  to  trade 
with  him  in  Namaqua-land.  Africaner  and  party  left  with 
mingled  emotions,  and  were  kindly  supplied  with  a  govern- 
ment passport  to  ensure  the  friendship  and  attention  of  the 
colonists,  through  whose  lands  they  must  pass. 

The  remaining  particulars  of  this  good  man's  career  must 
now  be  related  as  briefly  as  possible  ;  to  which  I  propose  to 
add  some  observations  on  the  termination  of  our  missionary 
operations  in  Namaqua-land.     He  very  generously  offered 
to  take  my  books  and  a  few  articles  of  furniture  I  had  pur- 
chased, in   his   wagon   across   the    continent   to   Lattakoo. 
During  my  stay  at  Cape  Town,  Miss  Smith,  to  whom  I  had 
been  long  previously  engaged,  arriving  from   England,  we 
were  united,   and  we    accompanied  Mr.   Campbell   on   his 
second  visit  to  Lattakoo.      Here  we  were  favoured  with  one 
more  short  but  delightful  interview.    This  faithful  and  affec- 
tionate friend  remembered  his  promise,  and  brought  me  the 
articles,  of  which  he  knew  I  must  stand  in  need.      Nearly  a 
year  had  intervened,  and  he  had  spent  the  time  in  conjunc- 
tion with  his  brothers  David  and  Jacobus,  in  continuing  the 
public   services,  and  teaching  in  the  schools  at  the  station, 
while    I  had  been  on  the  tour  with  the   Deputation.     Mr. 
Campbell    being    about   to   return    to    England,    Africaner 
travelled  with  us  as  far  as  Daniel's  Kuil  to  accompany  him, 
where  he  met  the  Griqua  chief,  Berend  Berend,  with  whom, 
as   stated  in  a  former  chapter,  he  had  had  many  a  deadly 
contest.     Being   now  both  converts  to  the  faith,  all  their 
former  animosities  were  melted  away  by  the  gospel  of  peace 
and  love.      These  chiefs  sat  down  together  in  our  tent  with 
a  number  of  people,  when  all  united  in  singing  a  hymn  of 
praise  to  God,  and   listening  to  an  address,  from  the  invita- 
tion of  Jehovah  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  to  look  to  Him,  and 
Him  alone,  for  salvation.     After  which,  they  knelt  at  the 


HIS    DEATH.  129 

same  stool,  before  the  peaceful  throne  of  the  Redeemer ; 
thus  the  Gospel  makes — 

"  Lions,  and  beasts  of  savage  name, 
Put  on  the  nature  of  the  Lamb," 

We  parted,  with  some  hope  that  we  might  see  him  again  ; 
but  no — it  was  the  last  farewell  ;  for  scarcely  two  years  had 
elapsed  when  he  was  called  to  enter  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord. 
This  he  had  anticipated,  with  the  full  assurance  of  hope, 
believing  that,  "  when  his  earthly  house  should  be  dissolved, 
he  would  have  a  building  of  God." — The  closing  scene  of 
his  hfe  is  faithfully  delineated  by  the  Rev.  J.  Archbell,  Wes- 
leyan  missionary,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Philip,  dated  March  14th, 
1823  :— 

"  When  he  found  his  end  approaching,  he  called  all  the  people  together, 
after  the  example  of  Joshua,  and  gave  them  directions  as  to  their  future 
conduct.  '  We  are  not,'  said  he,  '  what  we  were,  savages,  but  men  pro- 
fessing to  be  taught  according  to  the  Gospel.  Let  us  then  do  accordingly. 
Live  peaceably  with  all  men,  if  possible:  and  if  impossible,  consult  those 
who  are  placed  over  you,  before  you  engage  in  any  thing.  Remain  toge- 
ther, as  you  have  done  since  I  linew  you.  Then,  when  the  Directors 
think  fit  to  send  you  a  missionary,  you  may  be  ready  to  receive  him.  Be- 
have to  any  teacher  you  may  have  sent  as  one  sent  of  God,  as  I  have 
great  hope  that  God  will  bless  you  in  this  respect  when  I  am  gone  to 
heaven.  I  feel  that  I  Icve  God,  and  that  he  has  done  much  for  me,  of 
which  I  am  totally  unworthy. 

"  'My  former  life  is  stained  with  blood ;  but  Jesus  Christ  has  pardoned 
me,  and  I  am  going  to  heaven.  Oh  !  beware  of  falling  into  the  same  evils 
into  which  I  have  led  you  frequently ;  but  seek  God,  and  he  will  be  found 
of  you  to  direct  you.' 

"  Africaner  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  and  of  undaunted  courage; 
and  although  he  himself  was  one  of  the  first  and  the  severest  persecutors 
of  the  Christian  cause,  he  would,  had  he  lived,  have  spilled  his  blood,  if 
necessary,  for  his  missionary." 

Many  had  been  the  refreshing  hours  we  had  spent  togeth- 
er, sitting  or  walking,  tracing  the  operations  of  the  word  and 
Spirit  on  his  mind,  which  seemed  to  have  been  first  excited 
under  the  ministry  of  Christian  Albrecht.  Subsequent  to 
that  period,  his  thoughts  were  frequently  occupied  while 
looking  around  him,  and  surveying  the  "  handy-works  "  of 
God,  and  asking  the  question,  "  Are  these  the  productions 
of  some  great  Being? — how  is  it  that  his  name  and  charac- 
ter have  been  lost  among  the  Namaquas,  and  the  knowledge 
of  Him  confined  to  .so  few? — has  that  knowledge  only  lately 
come  to  the  world? — how  is  it  that  he  does  not  address 
mankind  in  oral  language?"  His  mind  had  received  an 
impetus,  not  from  the  hght  of  nature,  bright  as  her  page  ap- 


J  30  DREAMS   AND    VISIONS. 

pears  to  one  even  partially  illumined  by  the  voice  of  revela- 
tion, but  from  what  he  had  heard  from  the  missionary.  The 
torch  of  Divine  truth,  which  had  but  just  begun  to  irradiate 
with  its  yet  feeble  rays  his  intellectual  powers,  had  been  by 
his  own  violence  removed  far  beyond  his  reach,  and  he  was 
thus  left  to  grope  like  one  in  the  dark  ;  but  dark  as  his  soul 
was,  he  could  not  retire  from  the  ruins  of  Warm  Bath  with- 
out a  pang.  In  trying  to  grasp  the  often  indistinct  rays  of 
light,  which  would  occasionally  flit  across  his  partially 
awakened  understanding,  he  became  the  more  bewildered, 
especially  Avhen  he  thought  of  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  mes- 
sage, "  Good-will  to  man."  He  often  v.^ondered  whether 
the  book  he  saw  some  of  the  farmers  use  said  any  thing  on 
the  subject ;  and  then  he  would  conclude,  that  if  they  wor- 
shipped any  such  being,  he  must  be  one  of  a  very  different 
character  from  that  God  of  love  to  whom  the  missionaries 
directed  the  attention  of  the  Namaquas. 

It  was  at  a  period  Avhen  Africaner's  judgment  appeared 
to  be  wavering,  and  when  he  was  about  to  dismiss  for  ever 
from  his  thoughts  the  graver  subjects  of  revelation,  death, 
and  immortality,  that  he  had  rather  a  remarkable  dream, 
which  gave  his  mind  a  bias  it  never  afterward  forsook  Al- 
though I  admit,  with  iTiany  others,  that  dreams  may  be  of 
three  classes,  human,  satanic,  and  divine, — those  of  the  lat- 
ter class  being  very  rare, — I  have  ever  found  it  necessary  to 
discourage,  rather  than  to  countenance,  a  regard  to  them 
among  the  heathen,  on  whose  minds  light  has  just  begun  to 
break,  and  who,  under  their  first  impressions,  are  very  prone 
to  give  a  superstitious  interpretation  to  dreams,  some  of 
which  are  of  too  monstrous  a  character  to  be  permitted  an 
asylum  in  the  mind.  These  generally  obtain  currency 
among  the  ignorant,  and  such  as  feel  more  pleasure  in 
hawking  about  their  nocturnal  reveries,  than  spending  their 
time  in  learning  to  read  the  law  and  the  testimon}^ ;  and  the 
delusion  does  not  stop  here  ;  they  hear  of  visions,  and  think 
that  they  may  come  in  for  a  share  of  them,  and  thus  bring 
back  the  ancient  dispensation,  adding  to  dreams  unearthly 
sights. 

I  have  heard  of  some  who  had  seen  an  angel  behind  a 
bush  ;  of  others  who  had  beheld  the  Saviour,  and  coidd  tell 
his  form ;  of  some  who  have  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  ; 
of  others  who  have  gone  as  far  as  Jerusalem,  like  Mahomet, 
though  not  on  an  ass,  and  ascended  to  the  third  heaven,  and 
returned  the  same  night.  When  these  things  have  found 
place,  the  missionary  finds  it  necessary  gently  to  introduce 


DREAM,  131 

other  matters  into  their  channels  of  reflection,  and  impart  a 
genuine  currency  in  the  place  of  that  base  coin,  which,  alas, 
is  sometimes  vended  in  more  enlightened  countries  than  Af- 
rica. But  Africaner  was  a  man  who  never  dealt  in  such 
commodities.  In  the  development  of  his  Christian  experi- 
ence, his  motto  was,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord."  The  following 
I  heard  him  relate  only  once,  and  it  seemed  then  to  have 
been  revived  in  his  mind  by  looking  at  a  mountain  opposite 
to  which  we  sat,  and  along  the  steep  sides  of  which  ran  a 
narrow  path  to  the  top. 

He  supposed,  in  his  dream,  that  he  was  at  the  base  of  a 
steep  and  rugged  mountain,  over  which  he  must  pass  by  a 
path,  leading  along  an  almost  perpendicular  precipice  to  the 
summit.  On  the  left  of  the  path,  the  fearful  declivity  pre- 
sented one  furnace  of  fire  and  smoke,  mingled  with  light- 
ning. As  he  looked  round  to  flee  from  a  sight  which  made 
his  whole  frame  tremble,  one  appeared  out  of  those  murky 
regions,  whose  voice,  like  thunder,  said  that  there  was  no 
escape  but  by  the  narrow  path.  He  attempted  to  ascend 
thereby,  but  felt  the  reflected  heat  from  the  precipice  (to 
which  he  was  obliged  to  cling)  more  intense  than  that  from 
the  burning  pit  beneath.  When  ready  to  sink  with  mental 
and  physical  agony,  he  cast  his  eyes  upwards  beyond  the 
burning  gulf,  and  saw  a  person  stand  on  a  green  mount,  on 
which  the  sun  appeared  to  shine  with  peculiar  brilliancy. 
This  individual  drew  near  to  the  ridge  of  the  precipice,  and 
beckoned  him  to  advance.  Shielding  the  side  of  his  face 
with  his  hands,  he  ascended,  through  heat  and  smoke,  such 
as  he  would  have  thought  no  human  frame  could  endure. 
He  at  last  reached  the  long  desired  spot,  which  became  in- 
creasingly bright,  and  when  about  to  address  the  stranger, 
he  awoke. 

On  asking  him  what  was  his  interpretation  of  the  dream, 
he  replied,  that  it  haunted  his  mind  for  a  long  time,  like  a 
poisonous  thorn  in  the  flesh,  and  he  could  bear  to  reflect  on 
it  only  when,  as  he  said,  with  great  simplicity,  "I  thought 
the  path  was  the  narrow  road  leading  from  destruction  to 
safety,  from  hell  to  heaven  ;  the  stranger  I  supposed  to  be 
that  Saviour  of  whom  I  had  heard,  and  long  were  my 
thoughts  occupied  in  trying  to  discover  when  and  how  I  was 
to  pass  along  the  burning  path  ;"  adding,  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  "  Thank  God  I  have  passed." 

It  may  not  be  improper,  before  concluding  the  subject  of 
the  mission  to  Africaner,  to  notice  the  cause  why  a  mission- 
ary was  not  sent  according  to  promise.     That  I  did  not  for- 


132  MISSION    RELINQUISHED. 

get  to  urge  it,  may  be  seen  from  the  following  extract  from 
one  of  my  letters  to  the  Directors  : — 

"  But  whilst  they  afford  cause  for  gratitude,  it  is  to  be  recollected,  that 
their  situation  calls  for  sympathy  and  help  at  your  hands.  You  have  had 
the  honour  of  sending  them  the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel,  which  have 
been  blessed  in  a  singular  manner  to  many  who  were  formerly  buried  in 
degradation  and  guilt.  I  have  there  seen  the  lion  become  a  lamb,  the 
captive  set  at  liberty,  and  the  mourner  comforted ;  yea,  more,  I  have  seen 
men,  once  the  dupes  of  ignorance  and  vice,  sweetly  falhng  asleep  in 
Jesus ;  others  exulting,  as  they  departed  out  of  life,  and  saying,  '  It  is 
finished  for  guilty  me.'  Sometimes  my  solitary  moments  are  interrupted 
with  their  doleful  complaints.  '  You  have  snatched  us  from  heathen 
darkness;  discovered  to  us  the  enemies  of  our  never-dying  souls  ;  pointed 
us  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  withdrawn  the  curtain  of  the  eternal  world. 
We  see  the  crown  that  aw^aits  the  faithful,  but  why  have  you  left  us  to 
finish  the  warfare  alone  1  The  battle  is  great,  and  our  strength  is  small, 
and  we  are  ready  to  perish  for  lack  of  knowledge.'  Such  is  the  situation 
of  that  interesting  people,  and  surely  such  a  situation  demands  sympathy 
and  help." 

This  appeal  was  not  forgotten  ;  hut  the  expectation  that 
the  people  would  remove,  according  to  their  original  inten- 
tion, to  another  part  of  the  country,  caused  some  delay  on 
the  part  of  the  Directors.  Mr.  Schmelen,  also,  who  had  la- 
boured so  successfully  in  Great  Namaqua-land,  and  whose 
enterprise  planted  a  station  at  Bethany,  two  hundred  miles 
beyond  the  Orange  River,  had  been  compelled  to  retire  to- 
wards the  colony,  and  abandon  the  Great  Namaqua  mission 
for  a  season,  owing  to  the  unsettled  state  of  the  country,  and 
a  civil  war  on  the  station.  At  the  same  time,  Africaner  s 
people  separated,  one  part  going  towards  the  Fish  River, 
where  Jonker,  alas,  carried  on  the  character  of  a  freebooter, 
taking  the  cattle  of  the  Damaras,  while  another  part  re- 
mained behind,  on  the  old  station,  and  kept  up  the  worship 
of  God. 

At  that  period  the  mania  for  war  extended  from  the  Zoo- 
lus  near  Port  Natal  on  the  east,  to  Angra  Pequena  Bay  on 
the  west.  Commencing  with  the  Zoolus,  Matabele,  and 
Mantatees,  the  demon  of  war  seemed  to  fly  from  people  to 
people,  and  the  numerous  tribes  of  the  Bechuana  and  Basuto 
appeared  for  a  while  devoted  to  destruction.  Griquas,  Co- 
rannas,  and  Namaquas,  though  last  not  least,  from  their  con- 
tiguity to  the  Colony,  possessing  superior  means  of  carrying 
on  the  bloody  game,  continued  with  few  exceptions,  to  scat- 
ter devastation,  distress,  and  woe,  until  the  vengeance  of 
Heaven  fell  both  on  them  and  their  ill-gotten  spoils.  These 
were  days  of  trial,  and  scarcely  a  missionary  station  escaped 
unscathed  north  of  the  Orange  River. 


THE    WESLEYANS    RESUME    THE    MISSION.  133 

As  soon  as  these  troubles  began  to  subside  in  Namaqua- 
land,  our  Wesleyan  brethren  nobly  extended  their  efforts  to 
that  country.  Their  labours  have  been  crowned  with  suc- 
cess, and  I  hav^e  watched  their  onward  progress  with  as  much 
interest  as  if  I  had  been  one  of  their  number.  The  field 
being  thus  ably  occupied,  it  was  unnecessary  for  the  London 
Missionary  Society  to  send  others,  w4iile  the  character  of  the 
country  already  described,  with  its  scanty  population,  and 
the  cry  for  missionaries  to  carry  on  the  w^ork  in  more  import- 
ant fields,  influenced  the  Directors  to  leave  that  section  of 
the  missionary  world  to  our  Wesleyan  brethren. 

While  preparing  the  preceding  pages,  I  received  from  Mr. 
J.  Backhouse  a  tract  entitled,  "  Effects  of  the  Gospel  on 
the  Africaner  Family,"  the  perusal  of  w^hich  has  afforded 
me  the  most  grateful  pleasure.  Messrs.  Backhouse  and 
Walker,  two  valuable  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
have  recently  visited  the  Missionary  stations  in  the  South 
Seas,  as  well  as  those  in  South  Africa.  The  results  of  their 
observation,  as  reported  by  them,  are  very  satisfactory.  In 
reference  to  the  people  of  Namaqua-land,  Mr.  B.  writes  in 
a  letter  addressed  to  myself: — "  I  have  no  doubt  but  thou 
wilt  be  interested  in  learning,  that  the  Wesleyans  are  reap- 
ing an  encouraging  harvest  in  Great  Namaqua-land,  from 
the  seed  sown  in  former  days  by  the  London  Missionary  So- 
ciety, in  which  thou  hadst  a  part." 

On  the  resumption  of  the  Warm  Bath  station,  (now  Nes- 
bit  Bath)  and  Africaner's  Krall  as  an  out-station,  and  the 
pleasing  fruits  which  have  followed  the  labours  of  Mr.  Cook 
and  others,  the  conversion  of  Titus  Africaner,  and  the  con- 
sequent peace  and  harmony  among  the  people,  once  engag- 
ed in  w^arlike  stril'e,  the  WTiter  of  the  tract  makes  the  follow- 
ing judicious  remarks.  "  In  tracing  the  history  of  the  Afri- 
caner family  in  the  preceding  pages,  the  reader  will  proba- 
bly have  been  struck  with  the  evidence  it  affords  of  the  effi- 
cacy of  the  Gospel,  notwithstanding  it  may  have  been  im- 
perfectly received,  as  well  as  the  importance  of  attending  to 
the  counsel,  '  In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  even- 
ing witlihold  not  thine  hand  ;  for  thou  knowest  not  whether 
shall  prosper,  either  this  or  that ;  or  whether  they  both  shall 
be  alike  good.'  " 

From  Mr.  Cook's  communications,  it  appears  that  there  is 
a  prospect  of  further  openings  in  the  interior,  and  even  the 
Damara  country  may,  ere  long,  become  the  field  of  mission- 
ary labour.  It  must  be  acknowledged,  however,  that  diffi- 
culties almost  insuperable  present  themselves  in  the  way  of 

12 


134  DIFFICULTIES   INEVITABLE. 

carrying  on  missions  in  the  back  parts  of  Namaqua-land,  and 
the  country  of  the  Damaras,  from  local  circumstances ;  and, 
until  there  is  a  change  of  seasons,  the  Namaqua  missions 
will  continue  to  struggle  as  they  have  done,  even  though 
planted  and  supported  on  the  most  liberal  principles.  Ex- 
pensive they  must  be  to  make  them  efficient,  and  the  agents 
employed  will  have  to  lead  a  self-denying  life,  as  long  as 
their  resources  for  themselves,  as  well  as  means  of  civilizing 
the  people,  have  to  be  brought  overland  from  Cape  Town. 
Even  were  boring  for  water  introduced,  unless  there  be  more 
rain  in  the  country,  the  people  must  ever  lead  a  wandering 
lile ;  an  obstacle  to  missionary  success  complained  of  by  all. 
A  considerable  time  must  elapse  before  the  missionary  can 
reach  the  understanding  directly  by  his  own  voice,  from  the 
extreme  difficulty  of  acquiring  their  clicking  language  ;  and 
although  the  Dutch  is  gradually  supplanting  it,  much  time 
Avill  be  necessary  for  the  latter  to  become  general. 

Mr.  Schmelen  translated  the  four  Gospels  into  the  Nama- 
qua language,  which  were  printed  by  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society.  This,  from  the  character  of  the  language, 
must  have  been  a  work  of  much  labour.  Whether  the 
Wesleyan  brethren  intend  to  carry  on  their  work  through  the 
medium  of  the  Namaqua  or  the  Dutch  language,  I  have 
not  been  able  to  ascertain.  It  would  be  no  great  loss  if  the 
Hottentot  language  were  annihilated  •  though  from  the  scat- 
tered state  of  the  population,  it  is  not  probable  that  this  will 
soon  be  the  case.  But  the  zeal  by  which  our  Wesleyan  bre- 
thren are  distinguished,  supported  by  an  extensive  native 
agency,  may  overcome  all  these  difficulties,  which  would  be 
greatly  diminished  were  it  possible  to  fix  a  missionary  station 
on  the  sandy  and  sterile  shores  of  Angra  Pequena,  and  Wal- 
visch  Bays. 

These  places  have  been  visited  by  Schmelen,*  Archbell, 
and  Sir  J.  Alexander ;  but  from  all  accounts  the  whole  ex- 
tent of  the  coast  presents  little  to  encourage  such  a  plan. 
The  banks  of  some  of  the  rivers,  in  which  water  seldom 
flows,  may  be  traced  in  their  winding  courses  by  acacias,  the 
timber  of  which  is  of  the  poorest  description.  Ebony  trees 
are  also  thinly  scattered  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Orange 
river,  but  neither  there  nor  in  the  open  country  is  any  thing 
like  timber  to  be  found,  which  would  authorize  commercial 
speculations,  as  a  late  traveller  into  that  country  recom- 

*  It  is  reported  that  Mr.  Schmelen  went  to  those  places,  but  the  author 
cannot  vouch  that  he  reached  the  latter.    Mr.  Archbell  visited  it  by  sea. 


MISSION   TO   THE   GRIQUAS.  135 

mended.  Independently  of  the  Orange  river  not  being  nav- 
igable, and  the  v^^ant  ot"  suitable  bays  on  the  coast,  the  im- 
possibility of  the  country  being  benefitted  from  those  quar- 
ters, will  be  evident.  I  feel  persuaded  that  the  period  has 
arrived,  when  we  must  abandon  the  idea  of  long,  expensive, 
tiresome,  and  in  some  instances  dangerous  journeys,  either 
from  the  promontory  of  the  Cape,  or,  from  Algoa  Bay,  to  re- 
mote distances  in  the  interior.  It  is  now  quite  time  to  look 
to  the  eastern  and  western  coasts  of  the  continent,  and  form 
a  chain  of  stations,  from  either,  or#both,  towards  the  centre  ; 
and  establish  Missionary  Colonies  on  lakes,  or  at  the  sources 
of  those  rivers  which  fall  into  the  ocean.  The  want  of  nav- 
igable rivers,  and  the  dry  and  often  desert  countries  to  be 
passed  in  Southern  Africa  in  order  to  reach  our  isolated  sta- 
tions, present  grievous  barriers  to  the  work  of  civilization, 
and  in  some  parts  we  have  got  nearly  to  that  point,  at  which 
resources  from  the  south  will  be  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
ability,  either  of  the  missionary  or  his  people. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

It  is  an  agreeable  and  profitable  exercise,  to  take  a  retro- 
spective view  of  those  events,  whatever  their  character, 
which  have  led  to  important  results  ;  and  surely,  to  the  mind 
of  the  missionary,  it  must  be  delightful  to  look  back  along 
the  channel,  tracing  through  all  its  windings  the  little  rill  of 
the  water  of  life,  until  it  is  observed  oozing  from  beneath  a 
mountain  peak.  Like  an  African  river,  it  now  swells,  and 
then  dwindles, — is  now  rapid,  then  slowly  spreads  its  refresh- 
ing waters  over  a  large  surface  of  desert  waste, — now  disap- 
pears, and  then  rises  in  another  part  of  its  course,  in  which 
it  resumes  a  steady  flow — aff'ording,  at  all  seasons,  perma- 
nent fertility,  to  the  advantage  of  those  who  assemble  on  its 
banks,  or  come  within  the  range  of  its  influence. 

The  mind  of  the  writer  has  been  led  to  these  reflections 
by  a  minute  survey  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Griqua 
mission,  whicb,  although  embracing  more  variety  in  the  na- 
tional character  of  its  objects  than  perhaps  any  other  in 
Africa,  exhibits  much  sameness  j  but,  nevertheless,  its  liis- 


136  ITS   ORIGIN   AND  CHAKACTER, 

tory,  extending  to  more  than  forty  years,  presents  us  with 
some  remarkable  displays  of  Divine  power  in  causing  mis- 
sionary enterprise  to  triumph  over  no  common  difficulties. 
Its  fluctuations  have  been  very  numerous,  but  this  is  not  sur- 
prising, when  it  is  remembered  that  it  was  commenced  at 
the  Zak  River,  on  the  borders  of  the  colony,  in  the  year  1799, 
being  one  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Missionary  Society's 
first  efforts  in  South  Africa.  It  was  in  the  beginning  osten- 
sibly a  mission  to  the  Bushmen,  but  it  had  not  been  long 
founded  before  it  included  -within  its  operation  both  Hotten- 
tots and  Bastards.  Two  years  had  not  elapsed  when  its  ef- 
forts were  chiefly  devoted  to  the  Corannas,  Namaquas,  and 
Bastards  on  the  Orange  river,  the  missionaries  having  re- 
sorted thither  on  the  invitation  of  Berend  Berend.  From 
these  again  a  select  party,  though  a  mixed  multitude,  finally 
terminated  a  migratory  lite,  by  settling  down  at  Griqua  Town 
in  1804,  with  Messrs.  Anderson  and  Kramer. 

Sometimes  one  missionary  might  be  heard  addressing  the 
few  who  understood  Dutch  ;  another,  a  congregation  of  Co- 
rannas ;  and  a  third,  a  party  of  Bushmen,  through  interpre- 
ters. They  were  distinct  tribes,  having  diflerent  languages, 
customs,  and  grades  of  honour,  from  that  of  the  descendant 
of  the  colonial  farmer,  to  the  very  lowest  state  of  degradation 
in  the  Bushmen.  Their  government,  if  they  had  any  at  all, 
was  of  a  mingled  character,  comprising  the  patriarchal,  des- 
potic, monarchical,  aristocratic,  and  democratic,  each  party 
having  its  claims,  either  of  birth,  power,  number,  or  heredi- 
tary right ;  exhibiting  all  the  phases  of  a  tropical  thunder 
cloud,  which  rolls  in  wild  and  black  confusion,  till  it  bursts 
forth,  scattering  terror  and  death. 

It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  writer  to  be  a  chronicler  of 
the  events  connected  with  the  progress  of  this  mission,  or 
eA^en  to  attempt  an  abridgment  of  the  voluminous  details 
which  have  been  long  pubhshed.  His  object  is  briefly  to 
glance  at  its  more  prominent  features  and  changes,  and  to 
trace  the  dealings  of  Divine  providence  and  grace  in  sustain- 
ing those  devoted  missionaries,  who,  taking  their  lives  in 
their  hands,  and  sallying  forth  far  beyond  the  abodes  of  civi- 
lization, persevered,  amid  the  rage  and  cupidity  of  a  reckless 
rabble,  in  the  self-denying  duties  of  their  holy  calhng,  until 
they  were  crowned  with  triumphant  success. 

This  station  required  all  the  energies  of  the  missionary,  as 
may  be  observed  from  the  brief  sketch  already  given  of  the 
character  of  the  people,  and  their  isolated  condition  in  a 
lawless  country.     Their  circumstances,  afflictions,  and  pros- 


MR.  Anderson's  description.  137 

pects,  cannot  be  better  described  than  in  Mr.  Anderson's  own 
words : — 

"  When  I  went  among  the  Griquas,  and  for  some  time  after,  they  were 
without  the  smallest  marks  of  civilization.  If  I  except  one  woman,  (who 
had  by  some  means  got  a  trifling  article  of  colonial  raiment,)  they  had 
not  one  thread  of  European  clothing  among  them ;  and  their  wretched 
appearance  and  habits  were  such  as  might  have  excited  in  our  minds  an 
aversion  to  them,  had  we  not  been  actuated  by  principles  which  led  us  to 
pity  them,  and  served  to  strengthen  us  in  pursuing  the  object  of  our  mis- 
sionary work  ;  they  were,  in  many  instances,  little  above  the  brutes.  It 
is  a  fact,  that  we  were  amoiig  them  at  the  hazard  of  our  lives.  This  be- 
came evident  from  their  own  acknowledgments  to  us  afterwards,  they 
having  confessed  that  they  had  frequently  premeditated  to  take  away  our 
lives,  and  were  prevented  only  from  executing  their  purposes  by  what 
they  now  considered  an  Almighty  Power.  When  we  went  among  them, 
and  some  time  after,  they  lived  in  the  habit  of  plundering  one  another; 
and  they  saw  no  moral  evil  in  this  nor  in  any  of  their  actions.  Violent 
deaths  were  common ;  and  I  recullect  many  of  the  aged  women  told  me 
their  husbands  had  been  killed  in  this  way.  Their  usual  manner  of  liv- 
ing was  truly  disgusting,  and  they  were  void  of  shame ;  however,  after  a 
series  of  hardships,  which  required  much  faith  and  patience,  our  instruc- 
tions were  attended  with  a  blessing  which  produced  a  great  change.  The 
people  becatne  honest  in  their  dealings ;  they  came  to  abhor  those  acts  of 
plunder  which  had  been  so  common  among  them;  nor  do  I  recollect  a 
single  instance,  for  several  years  prior  to  their  late  troubles,  which  could 
be  considered  as  a  stain  upon  their  character.  They  entirely  abandoned 
their  former  manner  of  life,  and  decency  and  modesty  prevailed  in  their 
families.  "When  we  first  settled  among  them,  we  had  some  Hottentots 
with  us  from  the  Zak  River.  With  their  assistance  we  began  to  culti- 
vate the  ground  about  Riet  Fonteyn  ;  but  notwithstanding  our  exhorta- 
ti<ms,  remonstrances,  and  example,  the  Griquas  manifested  the  greatest 
aversion  to  such  work,  and  appeared  determined  to  continue  their  wan- 
dering and  predatory  habits.  At  the  end  of  six  months  the  Hottentots 
left  us ;  and  our  prospects,  as  to  the  future  cultivation  of  the  ground,  be- 
came very  gloomy.  \Ve  determined,  however,  to  abide  by  them ;  and  in 
wandering  about  with  them,  we  constantly  endeavoured  to  impress  upon 
their  minds  the  superior  advantages  they  would  derive  from  cultivating 
the  ground,  and  having  fixed  habitations.  After  a  considerable  time  had 
elapsed,  we  prevailed  upon  them  to  try  the  experiment,  and  a  commence- 
ment was  made.  This  event  was  preceded  and  followed  by  a  great  and 
visible  improvement  among  them  as  a  body.  Considering  the  circum- 
stances of  the  people,  much  land  was  cultivated  at  this  time;  and  in  the 
following  years  the  land  under  cultivation  was  much  increased.  I  have 
seen  the  whole  valley,  from  the  Fountain  to  the  Lion's  Den,  which  must 
include  four  square  miles,  covered  with  corn  and  barley.  This  refers  to 
Griqua  Town  alone;  and  the  ground  around  the  neighbouring  fountains 
was  in  a  similar  state  of  improvement." 

From  otlier  communications  from  Mr.  A.,  it  also  appears, 
that  as  early  as  1809,  the  congregation  consisted  of  800 
persons,  who  resided  at  or  near  the  station  during  the  whole, 
or  the  greatest  part  of  the  year.  Besides  their  stated 
congregations,  they  were  surrounded  by  numerous  hordes 
of  Corannas  and  Busliinen,  among  whom  they  laboured. 

12* 


138  IMPOLITIC    MEASURE. 

If  we  look  at  the  state  of  moral  turpitude  in  which  the 
missionaries  found  that  people,  these  results,  it  must  be 
acknowledged,  were  very  extraordinary.  A  threatened 
attack  from  a  marauding  horde  of  Kafirs,  in  1810,  was 
evidently  averted,  in  answer  to  prayer,  Mr.  Jantz,  the  only 
missionary  then  on  the  place,  with  the  good  people,  set 
apart  a  day  for  special  supplication  ;  and  they  sent  a  pacific 
message  and  present  to  the  Kafirs,  after  which  they  imme- 
diately retired. 

Mr.  Jantz,  whose  whole  conduct  on  this  occasion  seems 
to  have  been  marked  with  the  true  spirit  of  piety,  says, 
"  Now  we  must  leave  it  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  hoping  to 
see  his  loving  kindness  in  confirming  the  work  of  our  hands, 
and  granting  us  a  complete  deliverance.  This  is  my  prayer, 
that  we  may  be  so  firmly  estal?lished  by  the  Lord,  that  no 
enemy  may  be  able  to  hurt  this  church ;  for,  as  a  kind 
father,  he  hath  hitherto  taken  care  of  us ;  so  that,  instead  of 
complaint,  we  have  cause  for  thankfulness,  that  the  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel,  accompanied  by  the  power  of  his  Spirit,  have 
had  so  much  influence  on  some  of  our  people,  that,  by  means 
of  their  Christian  exhortation  and  example,  they  have 
subdued  the  ungoverned  spirit  of  the  Kafirs." 

The  mission  continued  to  flourish ;  extending  its  benign 
influence  for  several  years,  till  an  unlooked  for  event  gave  a 
shock,  from  which  it  did  not  soon  recover. 

It  was  not  an  unnatural  supposition,  that  the  government 
of  the  Cape,  finding  that  the  labours  of  the  missionaries  had 
been  so  beneficial  in  transforming  a  people,  who  otherwise 
might  have  been,  like  Africaner,  a  terror  to  the  colony,  and 
helped  to  drain  its  coflers  in  fruitless  commandoes,  would 
have  tendered  their  assistance  to  the  growing  commonwealth, 
and  afibrded  means  of  encouragement  and  protection  in  a 
country  where  they  were  exposed,  as  in  the  above  case,  to  a 
foreign  enemy.  But  this  was  not  the  policy  of  those  days. 
In  1814,  Mr.  Anderson  received  an  order  from  the  colonial 
government,  to  send  down  to  the  Cape  twenty  Griquas  for 
the  Cape  regiment.  Mr.  A.  was  never,  as  he  informed  me, 
amidst  all  his  trials,  placed  in  so  painful  a  situation.  The 
only  wonder  was,  that  the  people  did  not  stone  him  when 
he  made  the  proposal,  to  which  duty  compelled  him.  Was 
it  possible  that  a  people  just  emerging  from  barbarism,  and 
scarcely  able  to  defend  themselves,  would  send  twenty  of 
their  best  men  to  serve  at  the  Cape  ?  The  result  of  non- 
compliance with  this  order  was  a  threat  from  government, 
and  the  introduction  of  a  restrictive  system,  by  which  mis- 


CRITICAL   SITUATION.  139 

sionaries  were  prevented  from  crossing  the  northern  bound- 
ary of  the  colony. 

Mr,  Anderson  had  hitherto  been  viewed  by  the  Griquas 
as  the  founder  and  father  of  that  mission,  to  whom  they 
were  all  in  the  daily  habit  of  looking  up  for  counsel  and 
advice,  in  whatever  had  a  reference  to  their  temporal  as  well 
as  their  spiritual  interests.  He  had  also  been  the  means  of 
communication  between  them  and  the  colonial  government, 
and  was  virtually  an  agent.  The  Griquas,  from  the  above 
demand  originating,  as  they  supposed,  from  this  connexion, 
were  embittered  against  Mr.  A.  His  life  was  threatened  ; 
and  soon  after  a  party  withdrew  from  the  mis.sion,  which 
kept  the  people  in  a  state  of  political  ferment ;  and  though 
a  great  majority  remained,  they  were  by  no  means  cordial ; 
so  that  Mr.  Anderson  found  it  necessary  to  withdraw,  that 
his  presence  might  not  give  the  shadow  of  offence  to  the 
awakened  jealousy  of  those  among  whom  he  had  laboured 
with  such  signal  success. 

In  his  farewell  sermon  he  made  the  following  terse  and 
unique  comparison:  "  Formerly  I  went  out  and  in  among 
you  as  your  father,  your  friend,  and  your  guide  ;  but  now  I 
am  compelled  to  leave  you,  viewed  by  you  as  nothing  better 
than  a  dry  stalk  of  maize,"  But,  notM'ithstanding  the  bit- 
terness of  political  strife  and  discontent  in  which  he  left 
them,  they  afterguards  deeply  mourned  over  their  ingratitude. 
The  Avriter  having  lived  on  the  station,  together  with  Mr. 
Helm,  for  nearly  a  year  after  Mr.  A.'s  departure,  had  innu- 
merable opportunities  of  witnessing  how  warmly  they 
cherished  the  nmemory  of  one  who  had  for  twenty  years 
laboured  among  them  in  circumstances  of  great  privation 
and  affliction.  He  exemplified  zeal  and  perseverance, 
which  was  crowned  with  remarkable  success  ;  and,  doubt- 
less, distant  generations  will  venerate  the  names  of  Ander- 
son and  Kramer,  as  the  founders  of  the  Griqua  mission. 
Although  the  mission  was  thus  deprived  of  the  valuable 
labours  of  Mr,  Anderson,  Mr.  Helm,  his  colleague,  most 
efficiently  supplied  his  place.  Mr.  H.  was  a  man  of  consi- 
derable acquirements ;  in  whose  character  were  blended,  in 
an  eminent  degree,  an  unflinching  faithfulness  to  the  souls 
of  men,  and  great  meekness  and  humility.  His  graces  had 
been  long  tried  on  a  hard  campaign,  in  a  Coranna  mission 
on  the  Orange  River, 

The  events  now  recorded,  prove  to  a  demonstration  tbat 
it  is  not  the  duty  of  the  missionary  to  take  an  active  part  in 
political  affairs.     In  order  to  save  the  mission  from  ruin,  it 


140  WATERBOER   ELECTED   CHIEF. 

was  necessary  to  make  a  vigorous  stand  against  interference 
on  the  part  of  the  missionaries  with  the  government  of  the 
people.  My  appointed  sojourn,  as  the  coadjutor  of  Mr.  Helm, 
was  intended  to  assist  in  abohshing  a  system  which  had  thus 
burst  asunder  the  sacred  ties  betweeii  pastor  and  people,  and 
caused  the  removal  of  Mr.  A.  to  a  sphere  of  labour  within 
the  colony.  The  task  was  a  hard  one,  from  the  entire  dis- 
organization which  existed;  and  the  Directors  justly  re- 
marked, in  reference  to  that  appointment,  "  But  it  is  painful 
to  add,  that  the  difficulties  wdth  which  they  have  to  contend 
from  the  irregular  habits  of  many  of  the  people,  will  require 
the  greatest  firmness,  as  w^ell  as  the  most  persevering  efforts 
to  subdue."  These  efforts  were  eventually  crowned  with 
success.  The  former  chiefs  Adam  Kok,  late  of  Philippolis, 
had  abandoned  Griqua  Town,  and  Berend  Berend,  the  ac- 
knowledged chief,  lived  at  Daniels  Kuil,  a  distance  of  fifty 
miles,  attending  only  to  the  interests  of  those  about  him,  and 
very  rarely  visiting  Griqua  Town ;  neither  would  he  appoint 
a  representative  there. 

For  some  months  the  affairs  of  the  place  looked  like  a 
ship's  company  without  helm  or  compass ;  and  the  conse- 
quences were  sometimes  serious,  and  frequently  ludicrous. 
The  hint  w^as  given,  to  appoint  one  of  their  own  number  to 
take  the  government  of  the  village.  The  idea  was  eagerly 
embraced  ;  the  elders  of  the  people  met,  and  one  would 
have  thought  that  an  elder  would  have  been  elected ;  but 
no,  they  unanimously  voted  Andries  Waterboer  to  the  office 
of  chief  This  was  a  decision  which  reflected  the  highest 
honour  on  the  judgment  of  the  Griquas,  for  the  person  on 
whom  they  had  fixed  their  attention,  was  one  who  possessed 
neither  name  nor  riches.  He  had  enjoyed  advantages,  hav- 
ing been  educated  on  the  station,  under  the  eye  of  the  mis- 
sionaries ;  had  been  with  others  set  apart  as  a  native  teacher, 
and  had  long  been  employed  as  an  assistant  in  the  school 
where  he  was  found  on  the  very  day  of  his  appointment. 
We  had  neither  part  nor  lot  in  the  matter,  though  it  afforded 
us  entire  satisfaction. 

This  was  a  new  era  in  the  Griqua  mission,  which  brought 
it  to  a  state  so  ardently  desired  ;  and  the  mission-houses  in- 
stead of  being  turned  into  a  kind  of  council-chamber,  were 
visited  only  by  such  as  had  cases  of  conscience  to  propose, 
or  what  had  a  reference  to  the  general  wellare  of  the  church 
of  God.  I  might  here  make  an  exception.  Andries,  who 
was  not  prepared  for  this  new  station,  soon  felt  the  responsi- 
bility of  his  office.     He  had  no  opportunities  of  studying  the 


HIS   THIRST   FOR   INFORMATION.  141 

science  of  government  from  books,  (Minos,  Lycurgus,  and 
Solon  were  names  unknown  to  him!)  and  had  heard  httle 
else  than  the  principles  of  law,  derived  from  tlie  Bible,  the 
best  foundation  lor  tlie  laws  of  nations.  He  felt  his  defi- 
ciency, and  thirsted  for  information  ;  and  for  months  together 
we  spent  several  evenings  a  week,  after  it  was  supposed  all 
were  gone  to  rest,  conversing  on  these  subjects. 

Though  I  did  little  more  than  reply  to  his  numerous  in- 
quiries, yet,  having  been  placed  there  for  the  express  object 
of  lending  my  aid  to  abolish  the  old  system,  I  naturally  felt 
the  task  a  delicate  one.  At  the  same  time  neither  Mr. 
Helm  nor  1  could  see  any  impropriety  in  giving  him  what 
information  we  coidd  on  the  history  of  nations,  and  their  po- 
litical economy.  From  this  and  other  circumstances,  he  long 
retained  a  grateful  sense  of  his  obligations,  and  a  warm 
friendship  of  many  years  ensued. 

The  chief  Waterboer  at  the  commencement  of  his  career 
was  considered  severe  in  his  administration,  when  contrasted 
with  that  of  former  days,  in  which  insubordination  was 
allowed  to  take  deep  root.  As  might  be  expected,  his  strict 
discipline  gave  rise  to  divisions,  sifting  the  Griquas  of  those 
who  cared  for  neither  law  nor  gospel.  From  these  again 
arose  Bergenaars  or  mountaineers  and  marauders,  round 
whose  standards  Corannas  and  Bushmen  rallied ;  and  find- 
ing no  difficulty  in  obtaining  contraband  ammunition  from  the 
colony,  they  carried  devastation,  blood,  and  rapine  among 
all  the  Bechuana  tribes  within  their  reach.  Even  on  Griqua 
Town  itself  they  made  two  desperate  attacks,  which,  though 
happily  attended  with  little  loss  of  life  on  either  side,  justly 
excited  much  alarm  in  the  mis.sion  families,  surrounded  as 
they  were  by  rutliless  desperadoes  inured  to  violence  and 
murder. 

It  may  be  proper,  in  this  place,  to  notice  the  origin  of  these 
attacks,  as  well  as./the  circumstances  of  a  preceding  one,  on 
the  inhabitants  of  Griqua  Town,  when  Mr.  Sass  was  the 
only  missionary  on  the  station.  The  chief  Waterboer,  in 
conjunction  with  J.  Melvill,  Esq.,*  (now  one  of  our  mission- 
aries,) anxious  to  put  %  stop  to  the  devastations  committed 
by  the  Bergenaars  on  the  Basuto,  and  other  Bechuana  tribes, 
endeavoured  to  disperse  the  party.  For  this  purpose  their 
strongholds  were  attacked ;  and,  though  every  species  of 
warfare  is  to  be  deprecated  as  the  world's  curse,  the  fol- 
lovvinfr  extract  of  a  letter  from    Mr.   Melvill  to  the  Editor 


o 


*  Mr.  Melvill  was  at  that  time  government  agent. 


142  GENEROUS    CONDUCT. 

of  the  South  African  Chronicle^  beautifully  illustrates  the 
moral  and  civilizing  tendency  of  the  Gospel  in  relation  to 
the  Griquas. 

"  The  Griqua  chiefs,  A.  "Waterboer  and  Cornelius  Kok,  proceeded  to 
the  station  of  the  Bergenaars,  to  take  such  measures  as  might  put  a  stop 
to  the  system  of  depredation  they  were  carrying  on  against  the  tribes 
around  them. 

"  Instead  of  the  Bergenaars  showing  any  disposition  to  alter  their  con- 
duct, they  set  the  commando  at  defiance,  and  maintained  that  attitude 
till  night  came  on  with  rain,  when  they  made  their  escape.  The  com- 
mando returned  to  Griqua  Town,  with  4000  head  of  cattle,  followed  by 
some  hundreds  of  the  people  of  the  plundered  tribes,  to  whom  a  consider- 
able part  of  the  cattle  belonged  ;  and,  before  their  arrival  at  Griqua  Town, 
contrary  to  the  practice  of  savage  tribes,  a  scene  of  justice  took  place, 
which  would  have  done  credit  to  any  civilized  people.  The  chiefs  re- 
stored to  these  poor  people,  Basutos,  all  their  cattle,  without  reserving  a 
single  hoof  to  themselves,  to  which  any  one  of  them  could  establish  a 
right.  When  the  people  had  got  their  cattle,  they  were  told  they  might 
go  to  their  own  country ;  but  they  were  so  struck  with  the  justice  of  the 
Griqua  chiefs,  that  they  begged  to  be  allowed  to  put  themselves  under 
their  protection;  and  accordingly  they  followed  them  to  the  Griqua 
country." 

To  the  preceding  may  be  added  the  following  facts,  as 
they  exhibit  a  pleasing  evidence  of  missionary  influence  in 
promoting  peace.  It  was  found  necessary  for  Mr.  Melvill 
and  the  Griqua  chiefs,  with  some  of  their  leading  men,  to 
visit  Cape  Town.  Mr.  Helm  was  on  a  visit  to  the  same 
place,  on  account  of  liis  wife's  health.  Mr.  Sass,  who  had 
long  laboured  in  Little  Namaqua-land,  and  among  the  Co- 
rannas  on  the  banks  of  the  Orange  River,  was  alone  at  the 
station  when  the  Bergenaars  came  against  the  place  for 
purposes  of  sheer  revenge.  On  discovering  that  a  missionary 
was  there,  they  retired  to  a  distance,  and  sent  for  him.  Tlie 
venerable  Sass,  who  had  been  in  labours  abundant,  entered 
the  camp  of  the  ruthless  and  lawless  banditti.  He  had  no 
sling,  no  stone.  His  weapons  were  froifi  the  armoury  of 
heaven.  His  humble,  devout,  and  persuasive  address  to  the 
leaders  of  the  gang  calmed  their  rage,  and  saved  the  in- 
habitants from  impending  destruction.  "  Here,"  as  Mr. 
Melvill  writes,  "  we  see  a  missionary  has  so  much  respect 
attached  to  his  character,  that  even  the  Bergenaars  would 
not  attack  the  place  because  he  was  there  :  the  presence  of 
Mr.  Sass  afforded  a  protection  to  the  whole  people." 

The  particulars  of  a  subsequent  attack  on  Griqua  Town 
are  minutely  described  in  the  Society's  Monthly  Chronicle 
for  January,  1828;  affording  an  additional  instance  of  the 


RETRIBUTIVE   PROVIDENCE.  143 

station  being  preserved  by  the  Divine  blessing  on  missionary 
influence. 

But  Griqua  Town  survived  by  the  blessing  of  God,  on  the 
intrepid  and  persevering  efforts  of  Waterboer  to  establish  the 
principles  of  order  and  peace.  He  has  always  continued  to 
preach,  as  well  as  to  exercise  his  office  as  a  magistrate  j 
and  though  in  the  eyes  of  many  this  union  of  office  is  inex- 
pedient, he  has  ever  maintained  his  cause  ;  and  having  ob- 
tained a  liberal  salary  and  ordnance  supplies  from  the  colo- 
nial government,  he  is  able  to  present  the  Griquas  in  an  as- 
pect his  enemies  never  contemplated, 

A  retributive  Providence  accomplished  that  which  Water- 
boer had  neither  men  nor  means  to  carry  into  effect ;  for  he 
could  neither  punish  the  banditti  to  which  his  government 
gave  rise,  nor  defend  those  who  fell  a  prey  to  the  fearful 
havoc  they  made  on  property  and  human  life.  After  they 
had  filled  their  cup.  Heaven  frowned  upon  them  ;  and  those 
who  escaped  the  war-club  and  javelin,  disease  swept  away  ; 
those  who  escaped  both  died  in  poverty,  not  only  under  the 
gnawings  of  hunger,  but  those  of  a  guilty  conscience  ;  being 
deprived  of  that  very  property  of  which  they  had  despoiled 
others  ;  while  the  bones  of  the  majority  lie  bleached  on  many 
a  barren  waste,  addressing  the  living  in  solemn  language, 
"  He  that  taketh  the  sword  shall  perish  by  the  sword."  The 
finger  of  God  Avas  so  evident,  that  even  the  Griquas  them- 
selves could  not  help  fearing  that  their  former  cruelties  com- 
mitted on  the  Bushmen  would  not  go  unpunished. 

These  troubles  did  not  subside  till  1829,  when  the  mission 
partially  revived  under  the  labours  of  Messrs.  Wright  and 
Hughes;  and  since  1831,  when  it  received  a  new  impulse, 
it  has  continued  to  increase  and  extend  its  influence  around. 
Their  efforts,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  reports,  have  been 
blessed  in  no  ordinary  degree.  Beside  their  own  stated  ser- 
vices, they  employ  six  native  teachers.  Their  congregations 
comprise  Bechuanas,  Griquas,  Corannas,  and  Bushmen  ; 
the  first  the  most  numerous,  while  the  last  are  now,  as  may 
be  gathered  from  the  chapter  on  their  origin,  character,  and 
state,  few  and  feeble. 

About  seven  years  ago  this  mission  became  increasingly 
useful,  from  circum.stances  in  themselves  apparently  adverse 
to  its  prosperity.  Owing  to  the  draught  and  consequent 
failure  of  the  fountains,  nothing  could  be  done  in  agriculture 
in  the  village.  The  people  were  thus  dispersed,  and  obliged 
to  lead  a  migratory  life  in  quest  of  food.  This  state  of  things 
led  to  itinerating  and  the  employment  of  native   agency  on 


144  waterboer's  government. 

m 
a  larger  scale.  The  Divine  blessing  has  rested  conspicu- 
ously on  these  efforts,  and  especially  on  numbers  of  the  Be- 
chuanas,  who  had  from  the  destructive  attacks  on  their 
tribes  in  their  own  country  retired  to  the  banks  of  Vaal  River, 
within  the  Griqua  district.  These  were  brought  by  a  way 
they  knew  not.  Many  of  them  have  been  savingly  converted 
to  God,  and  are  now  able  to  read  in  their  own  language 
His  wonderful  works* 

I  have  thought  it  proper  to  be  a  little  particular  in  refer- 
ence to  the  origin  and  present  state  of  the  Griquas,  who 
have  been  so  signally  preserved  and  blessed  for  forty  years, 
and  remain  after  so  many  conflicts  a  monument,  while  other 
stations  like  the  one  which  gave  birth  to  theirs,  are  left  deso- 
late. Humanly  speaking,  Waterboer's  government  is  on  a 
basis  too  firm  to  be  moved  by  a  foreign  foe,  that  is,  so  long 
as  it  supports  by  its  influence  the  cause  of  God,  and  contin- 
ues the  laithful  ally  of  the  Cape  colony.  It  is  not  without 
great  reason,  however,  that  many  judicious  persons  depre- 
cate the  effects  of  what  they  consider  an  unhallowed  union, 
in  the  missionary's  holding  among  the  Griquas  the  office  of 
"  Confidential  Agent  to  the  Colonial  Government."  There 
may  be  apparent  advantages  arising  from  this  measure,  in 
accordance  with  the  sentiments  of  those  who  hold  up  the 
benefit  effected  by  missionary  labours  to  be  more  of  a  polit- 
ical than  a  religious  nature,  and  who  maintain  that  it  is  far 
more  convenient  for  government  than  appointing  distinct 
agents ;  but  the  fact  is,  it  has  no  warrant  from  Scripture, 
and  the   question  is,  Wliat  does  experience  say  ?     Let  us 

*  The  following  information  has  come  to  hand  since  the  article  on  the 
Griqua  mission  was  prepared  for  the  press,  and  cannot  fail  to  interest. 
Mr.  Helmore  having  been  appointed  to  Likhatlong,  a  station  of  Be- 
chuanas  connected  with  the  Griqua  mission,  190  of  their  members  were 
thus  transferred  to  his  care,  and  now  form  a  distinct  church.  In  the 
early  part  of  last  year,  Moshe.«ihe,  chief  of  the  Basutos,  sent  messengers 
to  the  chief  Waterboer,  informing  him  that  as  his  people  were  now 
favoured  with  missionaries  in  their  own  country,  it  was  his  particular 
wish  that  all  the  Basutos  in  those  parts  should  return  home.  Waterboer 
having  at  once  made  it  known  that  all  that  chose  to  do  so,  were  at  liberty 
to  depart  with  their  property,  after  having  resided  under  bis  protection 
for  seventeen  years,  a  party  of  that  people,  about  100  souls,  lately  re- 
moved, among  whom  were  33  church  members.  This  measure  caiinot 
fail  of  being  an  important  acquisition  to  the  French  missionaries,  as 
nearly  all  of  them  were  able  to  read  in  their  own  language.  After  these 
deductions,  and  including  recent  additions,  the  number  of  church  mem- 
bers at  Griqua  Town  is  520.  The  schools  on  the  station  have,  under 
many  discouraging  circumstances,  continued  to  prosper,  and  the  Infant 
school  under  the  care  of  Troy  Vortuin,  a  native  female  of  a  respectable 
family,  reflects  great  honour  on  her  abiUtics  and  perseverance. 


mSSIONARIES   GOVERNMENT   AGENTS.  145 

take  South  Africa  for  an  example.  The  preceding  state- 
ments demonstrate  that  the  cause  of  Mr.  Anderson's  re- 
moval was  his  government  agency ;  and  though  his  not  hav- 
ing had  a  precedent  is  an  apology,  the  principle  and  the 
consequences  of  that  agency  cannot  but  be  deprecated. 

Mr.  Brownlee,  our  missionary  in  Kafir-land,  was  the  next 
who  trod  on  that  slippery  path,  and  resigned  the  office  of 
missionary  agent  to  government,  as  incompatible  with  the 
position  of  a  missionary  heathen.  Mr.  Thompson,  of  the 
*  Kat  River,  followed  him  with  still  less  success.  His  "  po- 
litical functions  interfered  very  much  with  his  religious  du- 
ties." He  inibrmed  the  writer  that  it  nearly  cost  him  his 
life,  and  he  would  by  no  means  advise  missionaries  to  as- 
sume any  thing  like  a  diplomatic  character  among  the  peo- 
ple of  their  spiritual  charge.*  More  than  twenty  years' 
experience  among  the  aborigines  beyond  the  boundary  of 
the  colony,  has  convinced  the  writer  that  the  two  offices 
ought  not  to  be  held  by  the  same  person.  Among  the  Be- 
chuanas  our  lives  have  been  placed  in  imminent  danger 
from  the  suspicions  excited  in  their  minds  by  Conrad  Buys 
and  others,  that  we  were  agents  of  government,  or  in  some 
way  or  other  connected  with  it.  No  missionary,  however, 
can  with  any  show  of  Scripture  or  reason,  refuse  his  pacific 
counsel  and  advice,  when  those  among  whom  he  labours 
require  it,  nor  decline  to  become  interpreter  or  tran.slator  to 
any  foreign  power,  or  to  be  the  medium  of  hushing  the  din 
of  war  arising  either  from  family  interests  or  national 
claims  ;  nor  is  it  inconsistent  with  his  character  to  become  a 
mediator  or  intercessor  where  life  is  at  stake,  whether  aris- 
ing from  ignorance,  despotism,  or  revenge.  I  once  seized 
the  right  arm  of  an  enraged  chief  of  no  little  power,  who 
grasped  a  weapon,  which,  but  for  this  interference,  would 
have  been  plunged  into  the  breast  of  a  victim,  who  had 
greviously  offended.  I  did  no  wrong,  nor  did  the  chief 
think  so,  for  when  the  parox)'^sm  was  over  he  said  to  me,  "  I 
thank  you,  father."  A  missionary  may  do  all  this,  and  more 
than  this,  without  endangering  his  character,  and  what  is 
of  infinitely  more  importance  the  character  of  the  gospel  he 

*  The  Rev.  Stephen  Kay,  in  his  letter  to  Sir  T.  F.  Buxton,  on  the 
Kafir-case,  makes  the  tbllowing  remark,  which  being  the  result  of  long 
observation,  is  worthy  of  regard.  After  some  very  wholesome  hints  on 
tlie  subject  of  agency,  he  writes — "  I  trust,  therefore,  that  Government 
will  never  again  think  of  committing  the  office  of  agency,  amongst  the 
Kafirs,  to  a  missionary;  as  it  places  missionaries  in  a  position  which 
might,  by  fwissibility,  be  construed  into  that  of  spies,  and  there  would,  in 
all  probability,  be  an  end  put  to  their  usefulness  at  once." 

13 


146  SIR  A.  stockenstrom's  testimony.  J- 

* 

proclaims ;  but  his  entering  into  diplomatic  engagements 
places  himself  as  well  as  the  great  object  of  his  life  in 
jeopardy. 

That  missionaries  do  obtain  an  influence  among  the  tribes 
beyond,  without  any  official  interference,  has  been  demon- 
strated along  the  whole  line  of  the  colonial  boundary,  from 
the  Atlantic,  to  the  Fish  River  on  the  east.  Among  other 
instances,  the  following  may  be  adduced  as  given  by  the 
honourable,  now  Sir  A.  Stockenstrom,  in  liis  evidence  before 
the  Aborigines  Committee  : — 

"  It  strikes  me  that  it  is  impossible  to  deny  that  the  benefit  thus  con- 
ferred is  incalculable.  In  1832,  I  believe  it  was,  that  there  was  an  inroad 
of  a  marauding  horde  of  Corannas,  Hottentots,  and  others,  who  were  con- 
sidered outlaws  and  independent  of  the  Griqua  tribes.  1'hey  slaughtered, 
indiscriminately,  several  families,  and  plundered  to  a  great  extent ;  a 
strong  expedition  was  sent  against  those  people,  but  was  unsuccessful. 
It  was  apparent  to  every  man  acquainted  with  the  frontier,  that  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  influence  that  the  London  missionaries  had  gained  over 
the  Griquas,  we  should  have  had  the  whole  nation  down  upon  us.  It 
was  only  the  state  of  feeling  produced  by  that  influence  which  prevented 
the  Griquas  from  taking  advantage  of  the  exposed  condition  of  the  coun- 
try, and  the  panic  then  existing,  to  give  vent  to  their  old  animosities 
against  the  colony,  and  overrun  the  northern  half  of  it.  Had  tliey  been 
without  that  helm — that  influence,  I  say,  of  these  missionaries,  we  should 
have  had  a  strong  tribe  instead  of  a  gang  of  robbers  to  contend  with.  We 
had  no  force  to  arrest  them  if  they  had.  Now  that  those  people  are  in 
that  state  to  enable  us  to  treat  with  them,  I  attribute  altogether  to  the  do- 
mesticated state  to  which  they  have  been  brought  l)y  thelabours,  and  the 
confidence  which  they  have  in  the  advice  of  the  missionaries,  whose  in- 
terest it  is  to  preach  peace." 

Sir  A.  S.  bears  the  same  testimony  of  the  benign  and 
salutary  results  from  the  labours  of  the  Wesleyan  mission- 
aries. These  effects,  to  which  such  honourable  testimony  is 
borne,  we  feel  no  hesitation  in  ascribing  to  the  pure  princi- 
ples of  the  Gospel,  which,  wherever  planted,  nurtured  and 
matured  under  his  reign,  who  has  said,  "  My  kingdom  is  not 
of  this  world,"  will  always  produce  them  ;  and  through 
which,  as  the  chief  Waterboer  has  declared,  "the  Griquas 
have  become  a  people,  w^io  were  not  a  people." 

The  course  pursued  by  the  Colonial  Government  in 
appointing  an  agent  as  they  did,  in  the  person  of  J.  Melvill, 
Esq.,  terminated  in  a  treaty  made  with  the  chief  Waterboer, 
by  which  he  became  an  ally.  This  latter  very  important 
measure  was  entered  into  under  the  auspices  of  Sir  Benja- 
min D' Urban,  then  Governor,  and  who  in  addition  to  Wa- 
terboer's  salary  most  liberally  granted  50Z.  per  annum  to 
promote  education  among  the  Griquas.     Well  had  it  been 


TREATIES   A   WISE   POLICY.  147 

for  the  country,  if  this  arrangement  had  been  made  much 
earher,  for  it  would  have  enabled  Waterhoer  to  prevent 
much  rapine  and  murder,  which  had  devastated  the  country 
for  seven  or  eight  years  previously,  during  which  time  he 
could  not  even  defend  his  own  place,  for  want  of  suitable 
resources.  Of  this  he  was  so  sensible,  that  in  the  year  183Q, 
on  my  way  to  Cape  Town,  he  put  into  my  hands  a  docu- 
ment expressing  his  desires  on  the  subject,  with  an  earnest 
request  that  I  would  use  my  influence  for  their  accomplish- 
ment ;  this  I  did  most  cheerfully  with  Sir  Lowry  Cole,  then 
Governor. 

It  is  a  wise  policy  in  Government,  to  render  every  facility 
to  the  advancement  of  knowledge  and  civilization  among 
the  aborigines,  and  especially  to  such  as  have,  like  Water- 
hoer, exhibited  in  legible  characters  the  delightful  results  of 
missionary  efforts,  both  in  his  conduct  towards  his  own 
people,  and  the  Colony  to  which  he  is  allied  ;  and  we  cannot 
but  assure  ourselves,  that  the  friendly  system  now  acted 
upon  by  Government,  toAvards  the  chiefs  on  the  frontier,  will 
not  only  benefit  the  aborigines,  but  the  Colony  itself,  and 
throw  a  halo  of  glory  around  the  British  throne.* 

It  is  deeply  to  be  regretted,  that  the  fountain  at  Griqua 
Town  has  almost  ceased  to  flow,  which  has  compelled  the 
inhabitants  to  resolve  on  removing  to  the  banks  of  the  Yel- 
low or  Vaal  River,  where  they  hope  to  be   able  to  lead  out 

*  It  has  been  said  by  one  who  ought  to  have  a  tolerably  correct  know- 
ledge of  the  state  of  the  Northern  frontiers,  that  all  the  chiefs  in  the 
country,  with  only  one  exception,  "are  heathens  and  marauders."  This 
is  a  sweeping  charge,  and  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  for  the  writer,  who 
has  not  been  an  inattentive  observer  of  the  fluctuations  of  potty  interests 
in  the  country  for  more  than  twenty  years,  to  contradict  it.  He  possesses 
ample  matters  of  fact  for  a  volume  of  reminiscences  on  this  subject,  and 
may,  if  he  finds  it  necessary,  resume  his  pen  to  give  the  history,  and  the 
characters,  of  both  heathen  and  Christian  chiefs  and  marauders.  It  is 
true,  the  missionaries,  like  the  primitive  church  at  Corinth,  have  not  many 
noble,  not  many  rich,  of  whom  they  can  boast;  yet  there  are  chiefs,  and 
promising  sons  of  chiefs,  who  have  laid  their  weapons  of  war  at  the  feet 
of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  and  we  have  only  to  glance  over  our  missionary 
records  to  be  convinced  of  the  transforming  effects  of  the  Gospel,  even 
over  chicftians,  who,  though  strangers  to  the  inward  teachings  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  notwithstanding  the  baneful  example  of  some  called 
Christians  before  their  eyes,  instead  of  being  "  marauders,"  have  made 
sacrifices  to  promote  peace  around  them,  and  shown  mercy  to  those  by 
whom  they  were  formerly  plundered.  Not  to  mention  Cornelius  Kok, 
the  chief  of  Campbell,  whom  the  Bechuanas  have  been  accustomed  to 
recognise  as  one  of  their  guardians,  Adam  Kok  of  Philippolis ;  Mothibi, 
the  chief  of  the  Batlapis,  and  his  sons,  as  also  his  brother  Mahura; 
Mosheshe,  the  chief  of  the  Basuto,  and  others  whose  names  might  be 
mentioned,  cannot,  without  a  violation  of  truth,  be  designated  marauders. 


148  STATE    AND   PROSPECTS. 

a  stream,  so  as  to  irrigate  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
country  ;  and  in  furtherance  of  so  noble  a  work,  the  "  Friends" 
in  England  have  contributed  liberally,  through  J.  Back- 
house, Esq.  Should  they  succeed  in  this  important  move- 
ment, about  which  they  are  sanguine,  their  circumstances 
will  be  immensely  improAcd,  for  their  abode  at  Griqua 
Town  has  long  been  very  trpng  in  a  temporal  point  of 
view.  But  for  this,  it  is  possible  that  the  Griquas  might 
have  realized  the  expectations  of  many  of  the  Society's  con- 
stituents, in  supporting  their  own  missionaries,  which  their 
advanced  state  of  civilization,  and  liberal  support  from 
Government,  authorize  them  to  anticipate  ;  and  it  is  sin- 
cerely to  be  hoped  that  this  will  be  the  first  mission  beyond 
the  Colony  which  will  set  the  noble  example,  especially  as, 
according  to  Mr.  Wright,  the  "  place  possesses  inexliaustible 
capabilities." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

We  have  now  partially  traversed  the  different  portions  of 
southern  Africa,  in  which  our  missionaries  have  laboured 
with  varied  succes.ses,  among  the  Kafirs,  Bushmen,  Nama- 
quas,  and  Griquas.  In  our  perambulations,  our  hearts  have 
been  alternately  the  seat  of  sorrow  and  of  joy.  W^e  have 
mingled  our  sympathies  with  those  who  were  called  to  bear 
the  heat  and  the  burden  of  the  day.  We  have  heard  them 
lamenting  that  they  had  laboured  in  vain,  and  spent  their 
strength  for  nought;  and  we  have  seen  them  weeping  over 
immortal  souls,  who,  after  having  been  brought  within  sight 
of  the  haven  of  eternal  rest,  despising  the  day  of  their  visi- 
tation, have  perished.  We  have  united  in  our  ascriptions  of 
praise  to  the  Author  of  all  good  with  those  who,  though  they 
went  forth  weeping  and  praying  with  painful  solicitude,  have 
been  privileged  to  come  again,  bringing  their  sheaves  with 
them.  We  have  entered  the  kraal  of  the  filthy  and  lazy 
Hottentot,  and  have  witnessed  the  transforming  influence  in 
effecting  a  change  in  his  character  and  state,  which  neither 
the  might  nor  the  policy  of  an  empire  could  achieve.  We 
have  known  beings  of  so  low  a  grade,  that  at  one  time  it  was 


A   RETROSPECTIVE   VIEW.  149 

seriously  questioned  whether  they  belonged  to  the  human 
family,  but  aroused  by  the  voice  of  love,  and  drawn  by  the 
attractions  of  the  Cross,  we  have  seen  them  rising  from  the 
abyss  of  degradation,  entering  into  the  holy  of  holies  to  hold 
communion  with  their  God,  and  then  in  communion  with 
their  fellow  Christians  we  have  heard  them  say,  "  Beloved, 
now  are  we  the  sons  of  God."  We  have  known  him  whom 
we  were  wont  to  regard  with  fearful  apprehension,  as  a  lion 
in  his  lair  roaring  for  his  prey,  and  spreading  devastation 
around,  arrested,  humbled,  and  subdued,  without  a  sword  or 
spear.  At  one  time  he  was  the  scourge  and  the  terror  of 
the  country ;  but  he  became  the  advocate  of  peace,  and  the 
bond  of  union.  We  have  heard  the  Kafir  warrior  tuning 
his  hoarse  voice,  not  to  celebrate  the  sanguinary  deeds,  and 
to  rehearse  the  barbarous  soliloquies  of  his  ancestors,  but  in 
songs  sweeter  far  than  even  the  hymn  of  Sikana,  who  was 
the  first  Christian  Kafir  poet.  We  have  also  seen  the  civil- 
izing effects  of  the  gospel  on  the  wandering  Coranna  and 
Griqua,  of  whom  it  may  be  affirmed,  that  though  they  were 
without  a  country  or  a  name,  they  are  now  numbered 
amongst  the  tribes  ;  and  that  though  they  were  not  a  people, 
they  have  become  a  people. 

Leaving  these  scenes  of  deep  interest,  and  which  deserve 
to  be  depicted  by  an  abler  hand  than  mine,  we  now,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  spirit  of  the  missionaries'  watchword, 
"  onward,"  advance  beyond  these  little  hills  of  Zion  to  wider 
fields  of  mis.sionary  enterprise. 

We  now  proceed  to  inquire  into  the  results  of  spreading 
the  knowledge  of  the  word  of  God  amongst  a  people  distin- 
guished by  many  peculiarities  in  their  character  and  circum- 
stances from  most  of  those  described.  Unaccustomed  to  the 
control  of  other  powers,  and  living  at  a  great  distance  from 
the  confines  of  civihzed  society,  they  were  remarkable  for 
their  barbarous  independence  and  national  pride.  Mission- 
ary efforts  in  these  districts  are  of  comparatively  recent  ori- 
gin ;  and  though  the  results  of  those  efforts  are  such  as  to 
command  lively  gratitude  as  well  as  to  encourage  enlarged 
expectations,  our  course  now  brings  us  within  the  shadow  of 
those  rolling  clouds  of  darkness,  covering  an  immense  extent 
of  territory,  on  which  a  .ray  of  heavenly  light  has  never 
dawned. 

Nothing  was  known  of  the  existence  of  the  Bechuanas  as 
a  people,  distinct  in  many  respects  from  the  Kafirs,  beyond 
mere  report,  until  they  were  visited  by  a  colonist,  with  a 
party  on  a  predatory  expedition.     This  was  at  an  early  pe- 

13* 


\ 


150  MESSRS.    EDWARDS    AND   KOK. 

riod  of  the  history  of  the  Colony.  The  attack  and  robbery 
having  been  brought  before  the  Colonial  government,  a  con- 
siderable time  elapsed  before  they  were  again  visited  by 
these  white  plunderers  (as  they  described  them)  from  the 
south.  The  next  visit  was  from  the  marauder  Bloom,  a 
Dutch  farmer.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  similar  characters,  who  committed  sad  havoc  on  the 
herds  and  flock  of  the  Bechuanas,  butchering  great  numbers 
of  the  comparatively  defenceless  inhabitants.  In  the  year 
1801,  Somerville  and  Truter,  who  visited  the  missionary  sta- 
tion on  the  Orange  River,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  cattle 
for  the  government  by  barter,  w^ere  led,  from  the  information 
there  obtained,  to  visit  the  Batlapis  and  Batlaros,  the  two 
nearest  tribes  of  the  Bechuana  nation,  for  the  same  object. 
This  visit  made  a  very  favourable  impression  as  to  the  cha- 
racter and  disposition  of  the  Bechuanas,  on  the  minds  of 
these  gentlemen. 

A  short  time  before  this,  two  missionaries  had  taken  up 
their  residence  on  the  banks  of  the  Kuruman  River,  near 
which  the  Batlapis  and  others  were  then  living  under  the 
chief  or  king  Molehabangue,  who  appears,  from  universal 
testimony,  to  have  been  a  superior  man,  distinguished  as  a 
statesman  as  well  as  a  Marrior.  His  kindness  to  strangers 
was  also  proverbial,  a  trait  of  character  not  always  very  con- 
spicuous among  savages.  It  was  under  the  reign  of  this 
personage  that  Messrs.  Edwards  and  Kok  settled  in  the 
Bechuana  country,  for  the  ostensible  purpose  of  preaching 
the  gospel  to  the  natives,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  they 
were  ever  able  to  eftect  any  thing  among  that  people. 
When  our  missionaries,  Evans  and  Hamilton,  went  to  Lat- 
takoo,  or  Lithako,  thirty  miles  north-east  of  the  Kuruman 
River,  in  reference  to  whom  Mothibi  said  to  Mr.  Campbell, 
"  Send  missionaries,  and  I  w411  be  a  father  to  them,"  this 
king  M'ith  his  council  directed  them  to  the  Kuruman  River, 
there  to  take  up  their  quarters,  and  carry  on  barter  and 
trade  as  Kok  and  Edwards  had  formerly  done.  Tiiough  the 
latter  remained  several  years  in  the  country,  they  never  ap- 
pear, from  all  I  could  learn  of  the  elder  natives,  who  were 
intimately  acquainted  with  their  proceedings,  to  have  given 
themselves  out  as  instructors  of  the  people.  A  mission  at 
such  a  distance  necessarily  required  considerable  support, 
and  this  was  not  at  that  time  afforded  to  them,  so  that  they 
were  compelled  to  be  dependent  on  their  flocks  and  herds, 
and  barter  to  support  themselves  and  families.  This  prac- 
tice may  at  first  appear  very  plausible,  but  in  most  instances 


MR.    KOK    MURDERED.  151 

it  has  proved  detrimental  to  the  interests  of  missions  ;  for 
the  mind,  always  prone  to  earth,  is  imperceptibly  led  astray 
from  its  grand  object  by  a  lucrative  auxiliary.  On  this  rock 
these  men  appear  to  have  struck,  and  both  were  wrecked. 
They  lived  on  the  Kuruman  River,  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  each  other,  as  they  were  never  harmonious  ;  and 
instead  of  being  in  the  midst  of  the  people,  their  residences 
were  several  miles  from  the  town  of  Molehabangue.  They 
visited  the  Colony  and  Cape  Town  when  they  had  realised 
a  sufficient  quantity  of  ivory  and  cattle  to  be  disposed  of  to 
advantage.  Edwards  even  went  for  this  purpose  as  far  as 
the  Bauangketsi,  a  powerful  nation  north  of  the  Molapo 
River,  and  having  amassed  a  handsome  sum,  and  long  for- 
saken his  God,  he  left  the  countr}^,  retired  to  the  Colony, 
purchased  a  farm  and  slaves,  and  is  now,  or  was  some  years 
since,  a  hoary-headed  infidel.  I  write  Vv'hat  I  knoAA',  having 
reasoned  with  him  on  the  subject,  when  he  treated  my  ar- 
guments with  indignity  and  scorn.  What  is  man  when  left 
to  himself! 

A  different,  though  melancholy  fate  awaited  Kok.  He  is 
reported  to  have  been  a  devout  man ;  and  that  which  occa- 
sioned his  death  does  not  necessarily  imply  a  dereliction  of 
duty.  One  morning,  when  going  to  his  folds  to  survey  his 
flocks,  two  of  his  men  Math  guns  waylaid  him,  and  shot  him 
dead  upon  the  spot.  These  men  were  Bechuanas  belong- 
ing to  Molehabangue,  who  complained  of  some  grievance, 
in  reference  to  remuneration  for  their  last  journey  to  the 
Cape.  The  king,  on  hearing  of  the  fatal  deed,  ordered  his 
son  Mothibi  to  seize  the  murderers.  As  soon  as  they  were 
secured,  he  sent  a  message  to  the  widow,  requesting  her  to 
be  the  executioner,  employing  the  same  kind  of  weapon  with 
which  they  had  killed  her  husband.  Although  deeply  at- 
flicted,  she  could  not  but  admire  the  zeal  with  which  the 
prince  was  determined  to  punish  the  criminals  ;  nevertheless 
she  begged  to  be  excused  having  a  hand  in  the  retribution, 
at  the  same  time  expressing  her  thankfulness  for  the  active 
part  he  had  taken  in  the  affair,  and  for  the  assurances  he 
liad  given  her  of  his  protection,  and  sympathy,  and  respect. 
Kok  was  buried  at  Gasigonyane,  close  by  the  spot  where  the 
great  fountain  of  that  name  issues  from  a  mass  of  rugged 
rocks.  The  murderers  suffered  the  extreme  penalty  of  the 
Bechuana  law,  M'hich,  like  that  of  most  other  nations,  is 
death ;  and  so  anxious  was  Molehabangue  to  assure  those 
that  stood  the  nearest  connected  with  the  Colony,  of  his  in- 
dignation at  the  affair,  that  he  sent  messengers  to  Griqua 


152  DANGER  FROM  BUSHMEN. 

Town,  to  relate  the  facts  of  the  case.  Mothibi  his  son,  often, 
in  the  course  of  familiar  conversation  with  the  writer,  has 
referred  to  the  event,  and  the  part  which  he,  as  prince,  then 
took  in  punishing  the  offenders. 

While  Edwards  and  Kok  were  in  that  country,  two  addi- 
tional labourers  were  sent  out  by  the  Dutch  Missionary  So- 
ciety ;  but  from  the  hopeless  prospect  of  usefulness,  under 
the  existing  state  of  things,  they  abandoned  that  field  of  la- 
bour, and  returned  to  the  Colony.  The  residence  of  Kok 
and  Edwards  among  such  a  people,  without  being  thoroughly 
identified  with  them,  was  necessarily  attended  with  risk,  and 
denaanded  no  common  share  of  personal  courage.  Travel- 
ling also  was  dangerous,  from  the  Bushmen,  who  had  kept 
up  a  constant  predatory  warfare  with  the  Bechuanas  from 
time  immemorial,  and  upon  whom  they  wreaked  their  ven- 
geance whenever  an  occasion  ofi^ered.  Kok  and  his  attend- 
ants took  no  part  in  these  outrages,  but  this  did  not  exempt 
them  from  the  inveterate  hostility  of  the  Bushmen, — an  hos- 
tility exercised  against  all  who  possessed  herds  or  flocks,  as 
the  following  heart-rending  catastrophe  will  prove.  Kok 
was  accompanied  by  two  brothers,  Griquas,  of  the  name  of 
Bergover,  who  afibrded  him  not  only  society  but  assistance. 
When  Kok  visited  Gape  Town,  these  two  remained  behind, 
but  for  some  reasons  thought  proper  soon  after  to  follow  him 
with  sixty  head  of  cattle,  and  a  quantity  of  elephant's  teeth, 
which  they  had  obtained  by  barter.  On  the  third  day  after 
leaving  the  Kuruman,  they  were  joined  by  a  few  Bushmen, 
who  received  from  them  the  ofials  of  game  which  had  been 
killed.  The  oxen,  however,  they  possessed,  excited  their 
cupidity,  and  tempted  the  Bushmen  to  lay  plans  for  their 
seizure.  The  Bergover  party  consisted  of  two  men  able  to 
bear  arms,  their  mother,  their  wives,  and  fourteen  children. 
The  Griquas  soon  had  reason  to  suspect  the  designs  of  their 
visitors,  by  little  provocations  which  their  prudence  had  hith- 
erto overruled.  One  morning,  when  the  two  brothers  were 
working  at  a  little  distance  from  each  other,  and  while  one 
was  stooping,  in  the  act  of  repairing  the  wagon  pole,  a  Bush- 
man thrust  him  through  with  his  spear.  His  daughter,  eight 
years  of  age,  seeing  her  father  fall,  uttered  a  shriek,  when 
she,  too,  was  transfixed  with  a  spear  by  another.  The  other 
Griqua,  hearing  the  alarm,  and  beholding  his  brother  pros- 
trate in  his  blood,  rushed  furiously  on  the  eight  Bushmen, 
who  fled.  He  hvnled  a  small  hatchet,  which  he  had  in  his 
hand,  at  the  murderers,  then  seizing  his  gun,  fired,  and 
wounded  one  in  the  shoulder,  but  all  escaped,  leaving  their 


A    DREADFUL    SITUATION.  153 

bows  and  arrows  behind  them.  Distracting  beyond  measure 
must  have  been  the  situation  of  the  sufferers,  with  only  one 
individual  to  defend  them,  for  days,  while  passing  through 
the  country  of  those  who  were  sure  to  renew  the  attack  with 
increasing  numbers.  They  removed  from  their  frail  wagon 
the  ivory,  which  they  concealed  in  the  ground.  They  placed 
in  the  wagon  the  corpses  of  their  slaughtered  relatives,  with 
a  view  to  their  being  interred  during  the  night,  to  prevent 
their  being  treated  with  that  indignity  which  the  Bushmen 
often  offer  to  the  bodies  of  the  slain.  The  next  morning 
they  continued  their  flight,  with  hearts  beating  at  the  sight 
of  every  distant  object  which  appeared  like  a  human  being ; 
for  Bushmen  were  descried  on  the  heights,  watching  the 
progress  of  the  weeping  and  terrified  band.  Another  night 
passed  on  the  plain,  a  sleepless  night,  except  to  the  infants 
unconscious  of  their  danger.  Next  day,  passing  a  thicket 
of  acacias,  a  shower  of  poisoned  arrows  fell  around  them, 
like  hail-stones,  some  of  which  slightly  wounded  several  of 
the  children.  Bergover  fired  his  gun,  and  they  fled,  but  the 
attack  was  resumed.  Thus  he  continued,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  his  boy,  urging  on  his  oxen ;  and  though  several  of 
them  fell  under  the  poisoned  arrows,  they  were  quickly  re- 
placed by  others.  In  the  act  of  unyoking  them,  he  and  his 
son  were  both  wounded,  himself  severely  ;  nevertheless,  the 
father  continued  to  delend  his  children  and  lierd.s.  The 
gloomy  night  again  set  in,  with  the  prospect  of  all  being 
butchered.  The  morning  dawned  on  them,  and  witnessed 
the  closing  scene  of  a  catastrophe,  at  which  even  those  in- 
ured to  savage  life  must  shudder.  Greater  numbers  of 
Bushmen  appeared,  assailing  the  wagon  on  all  sides;  and 
the  moment  the  father  fired  his  gun,  all  directed  their  arrows 
at  the  only  individual  capable  of  resistance,  and  to  whom 
the  agonized  mothers  and  children  could  look  for  help. 
They  looked  in  vain  ;  severely  wounded,  he  staggered  to  the 
waoron,  while  the  Bushmen  seized  the  oxen,  and  drove  them 
off",  with  the  shout  of  victory.  The  wounds  were  fatal,  re- 
collection failed,  the  words  died  away  on  the  weeping  widow's 
ear,  and  in  the  cour.se  of  an  hour  Bergover  ceased  to  breathe. 
Here  they  were,  far  from  human  aid  ;  three  women  and 
thirteen  helpless  children,  their  only  friend  and  defender 
being  a  ghastly  corpse.  The  axle-tree  of  their  wagon  was 
broken,  and  Bushmen  were  still  hovering  around,  eager  to 
despatch  their  victims,  and  seize  the  remaining  draught- 
oxen  which  still  stood  in  the  yoke.  Three  days  and  nights 
of  anguish  had  now  passed,  without  either  food  or  rest. 


154  A   PARTY    VISIT   LITIIAKO. 

This  was  a  period  of  terror  and  despair ;  weeping  mothers 
encompassed  by  wounded,  distracted,  and  fatherless  chil- 
dren, could  only  lift  up  their  voices  to  God  in  prayer ;  and 
at  that  moment,  deliverance  the  most  unexpected  was  ap- 
proaching. The  melting  scene  which  followed,  cannot  be 
better  described  than  in  the  language  of  an  eye-witness. 
Dr.  Lichtenstein,  whose  description  accords  exactly  with 
that  which  I  received  from  the  lips  of  one  of  the  surviving 
widows. 

"  The  traveller  having  been  joined  by  Kok,  on  his  way  to  the  Kuru- 
man,  an(]  seeing  the  tilt  of  a  wagon  at  a  distance,  writes,  'We  hastened 
up  to  the  wagon,  and  readied  it  before  we  were  observed  by  any  of  the 
party;  at  the  moment  we  came  up,  one  of  the  women  seeing  us,  uttered 
a  loud  and  piercing  shriek,  and  failing  prostrate  on  the  earth  betbre  Kok, 
embraced  his  knees  in  a  tumult  of  agony.  In  an  instant  after,  the  chil- 
dren ran  towards  us,  crying,  sobbing,  and  lamenting,  in  the  most  piteous 
manner,  so  that  it  was  some  time  before  my  worthy  companion,  down 
whose  cheeks  tears  were  streaming,  had  power  to  ask  the  unfortunate 
woman  where  her  husband  was.  For  a  while,  renewed  sobs  were  the 
only  answer  he  could  obtain.  We  looked  up,  and  saw,  a  few  paces  from 
us,  a  boy  about  twelve  years  of  age,  making  a  grave  with  an  old  iron  axe, 
and  near  him,  lying  on  the  ground,  the  body  of  his  father,  wrapped  in  a 
mat.  'The  Bushmen  have  murdered  him,'  exclaimed  the  unfortunate 
lad,  and  letting  his  axe  drop,  he  broke  out  into  the  most  bitter  cries  and 
lamentations.'  " 

From  the  preceding  melancholy  tale,  some  idea  may  be 
formed  of  travelling  through  a  country  inhabited  by  Bush- 
men, to  whom  the  traveller  is  entirely  unknown,  and  who, 
driven  to  desperation  by  the  oppression  and  spoliation  of 
their  more  powerful  neighbours,  take  the  law  into  their 
own  hands,  and  often  retaliate  on  tlie  unoffending  and  de- 
fenceless. 

At  a  period  anterior  to  these  events,  attempts  had  been 
made  to  open  an  intercourse  with  the  Bechuanas,  ostensibly, 
for  the  purpose  of  barter;  but  being  generally  conducted  by 
such  characters  as  justly  excited  the  jealousy  of  the  people, 
they  often  led  to  tragical  consequences.  The  following  may 
serve  as  a  specimen,  among  many  others  which  might  be 
selected,  of  the  way  in  which  such  intercourse  was  carried 
on.  A  party  of  some  enterprise,  consisting  chiefly  of  Bastards, 
entered  the  interior  by  Great  Namaqua-land.  They  were 
well  armed,  mounted  on  oxen,  and  had  some  women  with 
them.  When  they  left,  they  resolved  not  to  return  without 
a  fortune.  Piu'suing  their  course  a  great  distance,  along  the 
western  boundary  of  the  Southern  Zahara,  and  favoiued. 
with  a  rainy  season,  they  directed  their  steps  east  and  south- 
east, till  they  reached  the  bed  of  the  Mosheu  River,  where 


A   MASSACRE.  155 

they  found  some  cattle  outposts  belonginjy  tothe  Bechuanas, 
under  Molehabangue,  then  residing  at  Lithako  (the  Latta- 
koo  of  Mr.  Campbell)  Having  nothing  to  offer  in  exchange, 
they  supplied  themselves  with  what  they  liked ;  took  some 
of  the  cattle,  despatched  those  who  resisted  their  depreda- 
tions, and  pursued  their  course  for  some  days  along  the  river. 
They  reached  the  metropohs  of  that  part  of  the  country, 
where  the  tidings  of  the  robbery  had  arrived  before  them ; 
and  the  inhabitants  had  the  mortification  of  beholding  two 
or  three  of  their  pack-oxen  in  the  possession  of  the  maraud- 
ers. Of  course  no  notice  was  taken,  and  more  than  usual 
courtesy  was  exhibited  towards  the  ragamufiin  visitors,  who, 
in  order  to  keep  up  an  appearance  of  an  abundant  quantity 
of  ammunition,  which  in  reality  was  exhausted,  had  filled 
some  bags  with  sand  to  deceive  the  natives.  When  the  ap- 
petites of  the  guests  had  been  whetted,  and  the  whole  party 
were  anxious  for  a  revel  in  beef,  two  oxen  were  presented  to 
them.  One  of  them  being  extremely  wild,  (which  was  part 
of  the  stratagem,)  took  iright  at  the  appearance  of  the 
motley  group,  darted  off^  when  all  pursued,  eager  to  secure 
their  fat  and  tempting  prey.  This  was  the  moment  for  re- 
venge, and  at  a  given  signal,  several  were  speared  at  once. 
The  others  rallied,  and  retreated  to  one  of  the  stone  folds ; 
but  having  scarcely  any  powder  and  shot,  they  made  but  a 
feeble  resistance.  Mercy  in  vain  was  asked,  no  quarter  was 
given  ;  and  night  put  a  close  to  the  struggle,  when  the  Be- 
chuanas lay  down  by  fires,  surrounding  their  intended  vic- 
tims, as  they  usually  do,  even  on  the  field  of  battle,  and 
slept.  Those  of  the  travellers  who  were  not  wounded,  aided 
by  the  darkness  of  the  night,  made  their  escape,  and  direct- 
ed their  course  southward,  as  the  Colony  was  in  that  direc- 
tion. At  day-light  the  women  and  wounded  were  all  des- 
patched ;  and  those  who  had  escaped  were  pur.sued  for  three 
successive  days,  with  the  determination  to  exterminate  the 
whole  party.  They  had  well  nigh  succeeded,  for  one  alone 
of  about  fiity,  covered  with  wounds,  reached  the  waterfall 
at  the  Orange  River,  there  to  relate  the  horrible  catastrophe 
which  they  had  drawn  upon  themselves,  and  to  raise  the  hue- 
and-cry  against  the  Bechuanas,  as  savages  of  no  common 
degree  of  barbarism. 

Dr.  Lichtenstein  was  the  first  traA^eller  who  visited  the 
Batlapis,  having  with  him  Mr.  Kok,  who  had  lived  some 
time  with  that  people  ;  and  he  was  able  at  that  early  period, 
1805,  to  give  a  tolerably  accurate  account  of  their  habits 
and  customs.     His  specimens  of  their  language,  though  as- 


156  DR.  COWAN  AND  CAPT.  DENOVAN. 

sisted  by  Kok,  do  credit  to  his  ear.  During  his  stay,  which 
was  shortj  he  received  every  demonstration  of  kindness  from 
Molehabangue,  who  with  his  people  resided  at  that  time 
near  the  Kuruman  River, 

The  next  travellers  who  visited  these  regions,  were  Dr. 
Cowan  and  Captain  Denovan,  who  had  a  respectable  and 
efficient  party,  with  two  wagons,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
English  government,  in  the  year  1807.  The  object  of  the 
expedition  was,  to  pass  through  the  Bechuana  country,  and 
penetrate  to  the  Portuguese  settlements  near  Mosambique. 
They  passed  successfully  through  the  various  tribes  of  Batla- 
pis,  Barolongs,  Bauangketsi,  and  Bakuenas,*  and  perished 
at  no  great  distance  from  the  eastern  coast,  but  by  what 
means  has  never  been  ascertained.  When  the  writer  was 
in  the  Bakuena  country,  about  300  miles  north-east  of  Li- 
thako,  he  met  an  individual  who  had  accompanied  the  ex- 
pedition as  a  guide  to  a  river,  from  description  supposed  to 
be  the  Sofala,  where  he  stated  he  left  them  ;  they  intend- 
ing to  cross  the  stream,  and  proceed  along  its  course  to  the 
ocean. 

In  the  year  1812,  Dr.  Burchell  visited  that  country,  and 
pushed  his  scientific  and  persevering  researches  as  far  as 
Chue,  a  considerable  distance  north-west  of  Lithako  ;  and  it 
was  the  intention  of  that  enterprising  traveller  to  advance 
much  farther  into  the  interior,  and  even  to  pass  through  the 
Kalagare  desert  to  Kongo,  the  Portuguese  settlement  on  the 
west  coast  ;  but  he  found  it  impossible  to  pursuade  any  of 
his  attendants  to  accompany  him,  and  was  therefore  obliged 
to  desist.  Burchell's  Travels  are  by  far  more  correct  and 
interesting  than  any  thing  of  the  kind  which  has  been  writ- 
ten ;  and  his  drawings,  as  well  as  his  descriptions  of  the  7ia- 
iive  character,  are  exceedingly  graphic. 

While  his  successful  researches  in  the  fields  of  botany 
reflect  great  credit  on  his  patience,  abilities,  and  judgment, 
his  strictures  on  the  Sechuana  language  show  him  to  have 
been  a  diligent  student,  possessing  an  accurate  ear.  Had  I 
possessed  the  work  when  engaged  in  forming  a  system  of 
orthography,  by  reducing  the  language  to  writing,  I  should 
have  derived  great  assistance  from  it ;  but  having  met  with 
it  only  since  my  return  to  this  country,  I  have  been  much 
struck  with  the  remarkable  coincidence  of  our  ideas,  while 
reducing  the  Sechuana  to  a  written  language.  Great 
allowance,  hoAvever,  ought  to  be  made  for  the  mistakes  of 
early  travellers  in  writing  names  and  words,  for  nothing  but 
*  The  latter  call  themselves  Bakone. 


DIFFICULTIES   IN    THE   LANGUAGE.  157 

long  labour  and  observation  can  enable  any  one  to  catch 
distinctly  the  different  sounds  of  what  appears  to  proceed 
fiom  a  simple  expression  of  the  voice.  Such  individuals  are 
often  misled  by  interpreters  v^ho  have  but  a  very  partial 
knowledge  themselves,  and  what  they  have  is  merely  picked 
up  in  a  casual  way,  and  without  any  regard  to  grammatical 
principles.  This  is  very  evident  in  the  writings  and  com- 
munications of  those  who  have  visited  the  country,  and  it 
appears  that  each  traveller  and  missionary  adopted  new 
names,  Avhich  differed  widely  to  those  who  had  gone  before, 
and  who  were  the  most  correct.  It  is,  however,  difficult  to 
explain  why  persons  associating  with  the  Bechuanas,  should 
write  Bootshuanas,  Boschuanas,  Botchuanas,  and  Moschua- 
nas  ;  Lattakoo  for  Lithako  ;  Krooman  for  Kuruman  ;  Ma- 
teebe  and  Matevi  for  Mothibi ;  and  Bachapins  and  Macha- 
pis  for  Batlapis  ;  and  Bacharaquas  for  Batlaros,  etc.  The 
sound  of  tl  nearly  like  the  Welsh  //  is  omitted,  as  well  as 
the  guttural  by  Enghshmen,  who  find  a  difficulty  in  pro- 
nouncing them ;  and  this  may  possibly  account  for  the 
absence  of  these  sounds  in  the  names  tbey  attempt  to  ren- 
der;  but  this  subject  will  be  resumed  in  the  chapter  on 
lanouage.  etc.* 

*  As  many  wortls  in  the  Sechuana  language  will  necessarily  occur  in 
this  and  the  following  chapters,  a  few  remarks  on  the  orthography  may  be 
found  useful  to  those  who  would  wish  to  pronounce  them  correctly.  The 
u  is  sounded  like  a  in  father  ;  c  like  e  in  clemency  ;  e  with  an  accent,  like  ai 
in  hail;  /like  ee  in  leek,  or  ce  in  see;  o  like  pinhole;  w  like  %  in  rule;  the 
7/  is  always  used  as  a  consonant.  1  hese  vowels  are  long  or  short  accord- 
ing to  their  position  in  the  word.  Ch  represented  in  Bechuana  books  by 
the  Italian  c,  is  sounded  like  ch  in  chance;  ^  is  a  soft  guttural;  ph,  th, 
k/i,  are  strong  aspirates;  //,  like  the  Welsh  //,  preceded  by  a  / ;  vg,  which 
is  represented  in  the  written  language  by  the  Spanish  n  :  has  the  ring- 
ijitr  sound  of  ?is[  in  sing.  This  outline  will  enable  any  one  to  read  the 
Sechuana  language  with  tolerable  correctness.  It  may  be  proper  to  re- 
mark here,  that  the  national  name  of  the  people,  is  Bechuana,  which  is 
simply  the  plural  of  Mochuana,  a  single  individual.  Sechuana  is  an  ad- 
jective, and  is  accordingly  a[)plied  to  designate  any  thing  belonging  to 
the  nation.  A  it  i/sn  Sechuana?  Do  you  know  Sechuana  1  language 
being  understood.  From  these  words  all  the  different  names  which  have 
been  sjiven  to  that  people,  took  their  rise.  They  are  called  Briquas,  by 
the  Hottentot  tribes,  from  /?rm,  a  goat,  and  (/m«,  a  people ;  euher  from 
their  p;irtiality  to  goats,  or  from  one  principal  part  of  their  raiment  being 
made  from  the  skin  of  the  kid.  Errors  in  such  names  are  very  easily  ac- 
counted for.  Dutch  speakers  not  being  able  readily  to  pronounce  the  ch, 
make  its,  and  thus  Boosuanas;  while  the  natives  are  so  condescending 
in  this  respect  to  strangers,  that  how  absurd  soever  his  pronunciation, 
they  will  imitate  it  with  great  precision,  and  applaud  him  for  his  skill.  I 
have  frequently  been  amazed  to  hear  how  promptly  they  will  abandon  all 
the  rules  and  euphony  of  their  language,  turning  it  to  a  perfect  jargon, 
in  order  to  be  understood  by  those  who  are  comparatively  ignorant.     The 

14 


158  MR.  Campbell's  cheering  prospects. 

From  the  time  the  Griqua  Town  mission  was  commenced, 
and  even  prior  to  that  period,  parties  of  Bechuanas  had 
occasional  intercourse  with  them,  for  purposes  of  barter  ; 
and  they  entertained  a  high  regard  to  the  Kok  family  on 
account  of  important  services  rendered  to  them  by  the  late 
Cornelius,  the  father  of  that  family.  When  they  were 
suffering  from  the  depredations  made  by  Bloom  and  other 
marauders,  this  noble-minded  man  disinterestedly  espoused 
their  cause,  and  put  a  stop  to  the  destructive  inroads  of 
these  desperadoes. 

The  simple  and  faithful  narrative  which  the  late  Rev, 
John  Campbell  gives  of  his  travels  in  South  Africa  has  long 
been  justly  admired.  Flaving  occasion  to  visit  the  different 
missionary  stations,  as  the  agent  and  representative  of  the 
London  Missionary  Society,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Read,  and 
several  Griquas,  he  visited  Lithako,  and  was  cordially 
welcomed  by  the  Bechuanas,  Mothibi,  the  chief  of  the 
Batlapis,  and  other  tribes.  To  come  in  contact  with  a 
people  so  superior,  and  open  a  path  to  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting and  populous  fields  of  missionary  labour,  was  an 
object  worthy  of  the  man.  Mr.  Campbell's  object  was  not 
scientific  research.  His  aim  was  still  higher — the  promotion 
of  that  cause  of  which  science  is  but  the  handmaid.  To  cast 
his  eyes  over  a  field  so  inviting  ;  to  hear  the  buzz  of  thou- 
sands of  immortal  beings,  and,  above  all,  the  declaration  of 
the  chief,  "  Send  missionaries, — I  will  be  a  father  to  them  ;" 
this  was  one  of  the  happiest  moments  in  the  life  of  a  man, 
whose  whole  soul  was  engaged  in  an  enterprise  which  had 
a  special  reference  to  the  welfare  of  the  poor,  degraded 
African,  and  the  spread  of  the  Redeemer's  cause  through- 
out the  world.  Every  event  in  tliat  important  journey 
authorized  the  mo.st  sanguine  expectations  on  the  part  of 
Mr.  C,  and  he  viewed  that  as  the  most  interesting  period 
of  his  valuable  life,  the  prelude  to  a  new  era  in  the  history 
of  our  African  missions.  After  a  circuitous  course  eastward 
from  Lithako,  he  returned  to  Griqua  Town,  and  proceeded 
to  Namaqua-land,  to  which  reference  has  already  been 
made,  and,  after  accomplishing  his  important  and  succes.«ful 
journey,  he  returned  to  England.  His  graphic  and  deeply 
interesting  details  produced  a  thrilling  effect  on  the  minds 
of  the  Christian  public,  who  gave  ample  proof  of  their 
estimate    of    his   labours    and    travels,    by   their   increased 

language  i.s  soft  and  mellifluous,  every  word  ending  with  a  vowel,  ex- 
cepting nouns  in  the  ablative  case,  plural  verbs,  verbs  definite,  and  the 
interrogatives  why,  how,  and  what,  all  of  which  end  with  the  ringing  n. 


MISSIONARIES    SENT   TO   LITHAKO.  159 

liberality  towards  the  objects  of  missionary  societies  in 
general,  and  the  mission  to  the  Bechuanas  in  particular. 

In  1815,  Messrs.  Evans,  Hamilton,  Williams,  and  Barker, 
left  England,  to  proceed  directly  to  Lithako,  and  with  the 
mo.st  sanguine  hopes  of  a  hearty  welcome,  from  the  proffered 
paternal  care  of  Mothibi,  whom  they  were  led  to  believe 
would  dance  for  joy  on  their  arrival.  With  these  animating 
prospects,  Messrs.  Evans  and  Hamilton  left  Bethelsdorp, 
Mr.  Barker  having  remained  behind  in  the  colony,  and 
]Mr.  Williams  preferring  an  opening  to  Kafir-land. 

On  their  reaching  CTriqua  Town,  they  were  kindly  re- 
ceived and  encouraged  by  the  brethren  of  that  station. 
The  late  Adam  Kok  of  Philippolis,  Jan  Hendreck,  and 
others,  as  interpreters,  and  as  men  of  influence  with  the 
Bechuanas,  determined  to  accompany  them  to  Lithako. 
Til  is  was  the  more  desirable,  as  the  Bechuanas,  though 
heathens,  having  received  signal  services  from  Kok's  lather, 
greatly  respected  him,  who  was  an  excellent  character, 
possessed  of  sound  judgment,  and  amiable  disposition. 

They  reached  the  metropolis  of  that  part  of  the  country 
on  the  17th  of  February,  1816  ;  and  the  whole  party,  with 
their  wagons,  were  admitted  into  the  public  square,  when 
Mothibi,  with  many  of  his  people,  came  up  and  shook  hands 
Avith  them.  Mothibi' s  first  question  to  A.  Kok  wa.«:,  "  What 
have  you  brought  for  barter  ?"  This  was  very  natural  for 
people  who  could  not  be  supposed  to  have  any  thing  like 
correct  notions  of  the  real  object  of  the  missionaries.  It 
nevertheless*  appeared  that  their  minds  were  made  up  on  the 
subject ;  for,  when  informed  of  their  object,  and  that  they 
were  the  men  promised  by  Mr.  Campbell,  chagrin  marked 
the  countenance  of  Mothibi,  and  strong  tokens  of  disappro- 
bation were  evinced  by  the  subordinate  chiefs.  This  was  a 
comfortless  reception  for  those  who  had  made  a  long  voy- 
age ;  passed  tedious  and  fatiguing  months  of  gypsy  hfe,  in 
a  desert  and  dangerous  road  ;  and  had  now  reached  the 
spot  on  Avhich  all  their  affections  and  hopes  had  centered,  as 
the  scene  of  future  labour  !  In  the  evening,  Kok,  in  a  more 
formal  way,  introduced  the  missionaries  to  the  king,  when 
they  presented  to  him  the  gifts  of  tobacco  and  beads  which 
tbey  had  brought  for  that  purpose  ;  and  Mahuto,  the  queen, 
also  came  in  for  a  share.  This  was  quite  enough  "to  sweet- 
en the  heart,"  as  the  natives  express  it.  At  this  favourable 
juncture,  when  they  were  exercised  with  uncertainty  as  to 
the  result,  and  their  desires  were  raised  to  the  God  in  whose 
hands  are  the  hearts  of  all  men,  Kok  again  stated  their  ob- 


160  THE    MISSIONARIES   REJECTED. 

ject,  and  referred  to  the  promise  made  by  the  king  to  Mr. 
Campbell.  He  answered,  "  They  may  come  and  protect 
me  ;  but  they  want  water,  much  water."  Then,  directing 
their  attention  to  the  Kuruman  River,  he  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  converse  on  other  subjects.  He  was  again  re- 
minded that  Mr.  Hamilton  was  a  worker  in  wood,  and  that 
another  missionary  M'^as  on  the  way  who  was  a  smith,  and 
could  make  hatchets,  etc.  This  statement  evidently  afford- 
ed him  satisfaction,  and  he  observed,  at  the  same  time,  to 
Kok,  that  he  could  not  think  of  refusing  persons  recom- 
mended by  him.  He  still  hesitated,  however,  cordially  to 
approve  of  their  wish  to  reside  with  him,  his  excuse  being, 
"  There  is  no  water,  there  are  no  trees  ;  the  people  have 
customs,  and  will  not  hear."  He  was  assured  that  the  mis- 
sionaries only  desired  to  remain  in  order  to  communicate 
instruction  to  those  willing  to  receive  it.  After  a  couple  of 
days'  intercourse,  during  which  they  could  elicit  nothing  sat- 
isfactory, the  king  at  one  time  assenting,  then  promising, 
and  then  cancelling,  he  at  length  appealed  to  his  people,  of 
whose  judgment  in  the  affair  he  said  he  would  approve,  re- 
peating his  wish  that  the  missionaries  would  go  and  reside 
on  the  Kuruman  river,  and  traffic  with  them,  as  Edwards 
and  Kok  had  done,  but  that  they  should  on  no  account  teach 
the  people.  Mothibi  then  addressed  his  subjects  thus: 
"  Speak  your  minds.  When  the  men  were  at  the  other 
place,"  viz.,  Messrs.  Campbell  and  Read,  "  you  remained 
silent,  and  when  they  departed  you  blamed  me."  Many  of 
the  people  then  exclaimed,  ''  The  missionaries*  must  not 
come  here  ;"  and  the  king  responded,  "  The  missionaries 
must  not  come  here  !" 

The  Kuruman  River  being  upwards  of  thirty  miles  dis- 
tant, and  the  country  without  inhabitants,  they  had  no  alter- 
native but  to  return  to  Griqua  Town,  and  thus  was  changed 
mto  more  than  the  gloom  of  sadness,  the  pleasing  prospect 
which  the  missionaries  had,  during  their  journey,  painted  in 
such  glowing  colours  ; — a  king  their  nursing  father — a  peo- 
ple willing  to  receive  the  heavenly  boon — overflowing  audi- 
ences, in  temples  erected  to  Jehovah — the  buzz  of  infant 
voices  vibrating  in  the  missionary's  ear  in  the  crowded 
school-room  ;  and  the  healing  streams  of  the  water  of  life 
fertilizing  the  moral  desert  around.  Instead  of  receiving 
gifts,  as  a  means  of  promoting  their  temporal  comfort, 
which,  as  the  messengers  of  peace,  whose  object  it  was  to 
impart  the  blessings  of  eternal  life,  they  might  have  expect- 
ed, they  were  surrounded  by  a  host  of  importunate  beggars, 


CAUSES    OF   FAILURE.  161 

rich  and  poor,  worrying  tJiem  for  tobacco  and  other  articles ; 
and  as  if"  determined  to  demonstrate  their  alliance  to  those 
who  persecuted  our  Lord  and  his  servants,  the  barbarous 
people  followed  these  rejected  heralds  of  salvation,  as  they 
re-yoked  their  wagons  and  departed  from  the  place,  with 
hooting  and  derisive  vociferations,  "  Away  with  the  white 
people,"  etc.  With  sorrowful  hearts  they  retraced  their 
weary  steps  over  the  waste-howling  wilderness,  in  which 
there  were  few  charms  to  engage,  or  in  any  degree  to  re- 
lieve their  minds  from  the  dark  and  heart-rending  scenes 
which  they  had  left  behind,  and  which  threw  a  shadow  more 
gloomy  still,  on  minds  alive  to  the  awful  consequences  of 
shaking  off'  the  dust  of  their  feet  against  a  city  containing 
many  thousands  of  immortal  beings.  They  nuised  on  the 
mystery  not  uncommonly  attached  to  the  Avays  of  Him,  who, 
though  too  wise  to  err,  has  His  footsteps  in  the  sea,  and  His 
path  in  the  mighty  waters.  It  may  be  profitable  to  trace 
the  cause  of  this  unexpected  and  mortifying  reception,  to  its 
true  source,  as  it  exhibits  to  our  view,  how  vigilant  are  the 
powers  of  darkness,  when  they  witness  their  kingdom,  which, 
for  a  lapse  of  ages,  has  been  kept  in  peace,  about  to  be  as- 
soiled  by  those  who  are  appointed  to  break  down  their 
strongholds,  and  erect  the  standard  of  Him  whose  right  it  is 
to  reign  ;  and  how  good  is  often  brought  out  of  evil  by  Him, 
whose  judgments  are  revealed  even  among  the  heathen. 

Before  the  missionaries  vi.sited  Lithako,  C.  Buys,  to  whom 
reference  was  made  in  treating  on  the  mission  to  Kafir-land, 
had  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Yellow  and  Hart  Rivers, 
and  had  intercourse  with  the  Bechuanas.  Into  their  minds 
he  diffused  his  principles,  which  were  hostile  to  the  colonial 
government,  and  succeeded  in  making  willing  converts. 
Among  them  was  Mothibi's  brother.  This  man  was  at 
Lithako  while  the  missionaries  were  there,  and  it  was 
through  his  influence  that  they  were  rejected.  This  same 
person,  in  returning  to  the  Hart  River,  probably  to  announce 
to  Buys  his  success  in  opposing  the  settlement  of  the  teach- 
ers at  Kithako,  was  shot  dead  by  the  poisoned  arrows  of  the 
Bushmen.  After  this  enemy  was  removed,  it  appears  that 
Mothibi  felt  more  favourably  towards  those  whom,  with 
some  degree  of  hesitation,  he  had  refused  as  residents  with 
his  people.  Messrs.  Hamilton  and  Evans  were  still  waiting 
at  Grif^ua  Town  lor  an  opening  ;  and  in  one  of  their  itiner- 
ating journeys,  they  were  told,  the  king  now  seemed  willing 
to  receive  tliem.  This  inffuenced  them  to  make  another 
journey  to   Lithako,   but   Mothibi,  with  about   1200  of  his 

14* 


162  MR.    EVANS    RELINQUISHES    THE    MISSION. 

men,  being  absent  for  a  month,  they  were  compelled,  by 
want  of  provisions,  to  return.  Although  their  prospect  had 
now  begun  to  brighten  a  little,  Mr.  Evans,  on  returning  to 
Griqua  Town,  relinquished  the  mission  altogether,  being 
disappointed  in  the  character  of  the  people,  as  well  as  in 
the^language,  which  it  was  his  special  object  to  acquire,  and 
reduce  to  writing.  He  returned  to  GraafF  Reinet,  entered 
the  Dutch  church,  and,  after  a  short  career,  died  at 
Craddock. 


CHAPTER   XY. 


Notwithstanding  these  gloomy  reverses,  Mr.  Hamilton, 
nothing  daunted,  resolved  on  making  another  effort.  In  the 
mean  time,  Mr.  Read  arrived  at  Griqua  Town  with  a  large 
party  of  Hottentots,  from  Bethelsdorp ;  and  as  there  were 
no  provisions  for  their  support,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  compelled 
to  proceed  to  the  colony  for  supplies,  without  which  their 
stay  at  Lithako  must  have  been  but  temporary ;  while  Mr. 
Read  continued  his  journey,  determining  either  to  settle  at 
that  place  or  at  the  Kuruman  River,  which  the  Bechuanas 
had  recommended.  On  reaching  the  town,  Mr.  Read 
thought  it  prudent  to  take  no  notice  of  Mothibi's  refusal  of 
the  brethren,  but  simply  to  remind  him  of  the  agreement 
with  Mr.  Campbell,  and  told  him  "  that  Mr.  C.  had  in- 
fluenced the  good  people  beyond  the  Great  Waters  to  send 
missionaries;  that  they  rejoiced  much  at  his  promise  to 
receive  them,  and  had  been  very  generous  in  sending  by  the 
missionaries  a  plentiful  supply  of  articles  to  make  him  and 
his  people  happy,  some  of  which  were  at  Griqua  Town,  and 
some  at  Bethelsdorp,  but  which  should  be  sent  for."  This 
information  produced  the  desired  effect  on  Mothibi's  mind, 
and  softened  down  his  opposition.  Some  approved  of  the 
missionaries'  remaming,  but  not  to  preach  or  to  teach ;  and 
others  on  condition  that  they  should  aid  them  in  their  expe- 
ditions to  plunder  the  Bauangketsi  nation.  To  the  latter 
stipulation  they  would  not  accede  ;  but  at  the  same  time 
assured   them  that,  should   any  enemy  invade  the  town, 


SUSPICIONS   OF   THE    NATIVES.  163 

assistance  would  be  given  by  the  missionaries.  By  kindness 
and  perseverance,  the  various  objections  raised  against  their 
residence  with  them  were  eventually  overcome.  Thus  was 
an  important  point  gained ;  and  which,  of  course,  ought  to 
be  the  first  sought  by  such  as  would  introduce  the  Gospel  to 
barbarians ;  but  it  requires  no  little  caution  and  prudence,  in 
such  a  critical  juncture,  to  avoid  introducing  a  system 
which  may  afterwards  involve  either  themselves  or  their 
successors  in  responsibilities  and  engagements,  which  cir- 
cumstances put  it  out  of  their  power  to  continue  or  fulfil.  I 
confess  I  know  of  no  part  of  the  missionary's  life  in  which 
he  more  requires  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent  in  union  with 
the  harmlessness  of  the  dove,  than  in  his  first  intercourse 
with  a  savage  people.  What  wisdom,  what  meekness,  are 
necessary  to  him  who  proposes  to  introduce  the  elements  of 
a  spiritual  empire,  to  sweep  away  refuges  of  lies,  to  prostrate 
idols  and  altars  in  the  dust,  to  abolish  rites  and  ceremonies, 
to  transform  barbarous  and  antiquated  judicial  systems,  and, 
after  apostolical  example,  "  to  turn  the  world  upside  down  !" 
As  a  people  like  the  Bechuanas,  who  never  had  the 
slightest  idea  of  idols,  or  of  idol  service,  could  have  no  notion 
whatever  of  the  object  of  missionaries,  beyond  that  of  secular 
interests;  it  is  necessary  to  refer  to  the  temporal  advantages 
to  be  expected  from  the  establishment  of  Christianity,  and 
this  is  the  critical  moment  which  gives  a  character  to  suc- 
ceeding years !  While  they  had  had  intercourse  with  the 
Griquas,  amongst  whom  they  had  witnessed  the  progress 
and  results  of  missionary  labours,  they  were  not  ignorant  of 
tlie  political  connexion  in  which  they  stood  to  the  colony  ; 
and  had  been  informed  by  some  of  the  evil-disposed,  that 
the  missionary  there  was  an  agent  of  government,  and  a 
pioneer  to  prepare,  by  pacific  measures,  the  minds  of  the 
natives  for  the  control  of  a  foreign  power.  Thus,  kind 
promises,  a  profusion  of  gifts,  bodily  service,  fascinating  as 
these  were  to  such  thoroughly  sensual  beings  as  were  the 
Bechuanas,  did  not  entirely  remove  their  suspicions,  that 
the  missionaries  were  only  the  emissaries  of  the  colonial 
governor.  I  have  frequently  heard  at  a  subsequent  period, 
the  views  which  were  then  entertained  by  men  who  are  now 
in.structed,  enlightened,  and  established  in  the  faith  of  the 
Gospel,  and  on  whose  minds  not  a  lingering  doubt  remains 
that  the  missionaries  are  indeed  the  messengers  of  the 
Church  of  God.  These  men  in  their  natural  state,  alto- 
gether devoted  to  sensual  enjoyments,  narrowly  watched  the 
conduct  of  the  strangers,  as  well  as  that  of  their  attendants ; 


164  DIFFICULTY   OF   OBTAINING   CONFIDENCE. 

and  what  might  have  been  supposed  unknown,  or  too 
minute  for  the  apparently  obtuse  perceptions  of  the  popular 
rabble,  was  analysed  with  scrutiny  and  precision ;  and 
deductions  were  drawn  rarely  in  favour  of  the  objects  of 
their  observation. 

From  these  remarks  the  reader  will  perceive  how  much 
missionaries  require  Divine  guidance  in  their  first  intercourse 
with  heathen  tribes  and  nations.  It  is  extremely  difficult 
adequately  to  conceive  of  the  extent  of  the  ignorance  even 
of  their  wise  men,  on  subjects  wdth  which  infants  are  con- 
versant in  this  country.  Yet  it  cannot  be  denied,  in  spite 
of  general  ajDpearances,  that  they  are  acute  reasoners,  and 
observers  of  men  and  manners.  But  to  return,  the  prospect 
of  a  permanent  settlement  on  the  part  of  the  missionaries, 
did  not  depend  upon  the  caprice  of  one,  but  of  many ;  and 
especially  on  Mahuto,  the  queen,  whose  influence  over  her 
husband  was  great.  Her  favour  was  not  procured  without 
a  very  considerable  tax  upon  the  comfort  of  the  missionaries, 
whose  resources,  she  presumed  were  at  her  command.  She 
with  many  others,  like  the  multitude  of  old,  could  express 
her  attachment  and  admiration,  so  long  as  the  loaves  and 
fishes  were  available  !  Not  unfrequently,  if  she  was  incens- 
ed, she  would  instigate  her  husband  to  acts  in  themselves 
harsh  and  severe.  Her  favour,  therefore,  was  of  no  little 
importance  when  it  could  be  secured.  Nor  is  this  at  all  sur- 
prising to  those  familiar  with  the  heathen  character ;  but, 
woe  to  those  who  remain,  or  who  succeed  to  carry  on  the 
work,  and  to  struggle  Mdth  the  difficulties  consequent  on  such 
a  system !  We  rarely  find  that  this  mode  of  proceeding 
among  ignorant  savages,  eventually  melts  away  in  the  light 
of  Gospel  day.  There  are  exceptions  ]  but  these  are  asso- 
ciated with  painful  and  protracted  conflicts  with  the  evils 
which  the  system  now  deprecated  engenders. 

The  brethren  had  not  remained  long  at  Lithako,  before  an 
event  occurred,  which,  though  disastrous  in  itself,  produced 
consequences  of  great  importance  to  the  future  interests  of 
the  mission.  Mothibi  mustered  a  large  expedition  against 
the  Bakuenas,  nearly  200  miles  to  the  north-east.  Their 
object  was  to  capture  cattle.  The  supposed  invincible  com- 
mando was  repulsed,  driven,  and  scattered.  Many  were 
slain,  others  were  dashed  to  pieces  over  precipices  ;  and  Mo- 
thibi, wounded  in  the  foot,  narrowly  escaped  with  the  loss 
of  many  of  his  warriors.  The  women  had  just  been  wail- 
ing over  the  loss  of  many  cattle  taken  by  the  Bauangketsi ; 
and   now  their  husbands  were  gone  to  inflict  the  same  dis- 


AN   UNTOWARD    CIRCUMSTANCE.  165 

tress  on  others  !  Bitter  were  their  lamentations,  as  each  suc- 
ceeding party  announced  to  manj'  a  distracted  mother  and 
child,  that  they  were  widows  and  orphans.  Soon  after  this 
calamitous  event,  Mothibi  and  the  majority  of  the  town, 
were  influenced  to  remove  to  the  Kuruman  River,  which 
was  in  June,  1817.  From  this  period  to  the  arrival  of  the 
author,  in  company  with  Mr.  Campbell,  in  1820,  the  interests 
of  the  mission  continued  to  fluctuate,  but  without  any  deci- 
sive evidences  of  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  being 
poured  out.  The  public  services  M^ere  carried  on,  though  by 
means  of  very  imperfect  interpreters  ;  a  serious  drawback, 
of  which,  however,  they  were  not  sufllciently  aware  at  that 
time.  Notwithstanding  these  and  many  other  impediments, 
good  was  being  done,  and  the  natives  were  gradually  led  to 
believe  that  the  missionaries  were  their  friends,  though,  as 
it  afterwards  appeared,  few  indeed  attended  for  the  sake  of 
instruction.  About  this  time  an  event  occurred,  which  pro- 
duced a  very  unpleasant  sensation  on  the  minds  of  the  Be- 
clmana.*:.  A  fair  had  been  established  at  Beaufort,  a  village 
on  the  northern  boundaries  of  the  colony,  for  the  purpose  of 
aflbrding  means  to  the  Griqnas  and  Bechuanas,  to  avail 
themselves  at  one  season  of  the  year,  of  an  opportunity  of 
purchasing,  by  barter,  what  they  might  require.  A  consider- 
a])le  party  of  Bechuanas  were  persuaded  to  go,  but  they  re- 
turned disappointed  and  mortified  ;  and  three  of  their  num- 
ber were  drowned  in  crossing  the  Orange  River.  They 
were  not  able  to  obtain  the  beads  and  other  articles  they  de- 
sired, and  were  rather  roughly  treated  by  some  of  the  farm- 
ers, from  whom  they  expected  to  receive  the  same  attentions 
as  from  the  missionaries.  The  journey  was  to  them  unpro- 
fitable and  disastrous ;  and  they  long  suspected  and  in.sinua- 
ted  that  they  were  advised  to  go  thither,  to  be  robbed  and 
treated  with  contumely. 

Mr.  Campbell,  after  his  very  successful  journey  to  the  Ba- 
hurutsi,  at  Kurrichane,  about  200  miles  north-east  of  Litha- 
ko,  returned,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Read,  to  the  colony,  while 
I  was  appointed  to  remain  at  Griqua  Town  for  a  short  season, 
and  then  join  the  mission  at  the  Kuruman. 

Mrs.  Moffat  and  myself  could  not  but  feel  deeply  when 
we  bade  what,  at  that  time,  we  supposed  to  be  a  long  and 
a  last  adieu,  to  the  man  who  had  always  been  dear  to  us, 
and  who  was  then  still  dearer.  We  had  travelled  with  him 
over  many  an  African  hill  and  plain  ;  we  had  held  converse 
with  each  other  on  the  interests  of  Christ's  kingdom  in  Af- 
rica ;  and  we  had  often  bowed  our  knees  together  before  the 


166  THE   LOAF    STOLEN. 

throne  of  God,  on  behalf  of  the  sable  sons  and  daughters  of 
that  desolate  country,  among  whom  we  wandered,  and  for 
whose  sake  we  were  strangers  in  a  strange  land.  The 
memory  of  our  beloved  friend  is  very  pleasant.  It  was  re- 
freshing to  meet  him  once  more  on  our  return  to  our  native 
shores.  He  has  now  terminated  his  pilgrimage,  and  entered 
into  rest.  Let  us  who  survive  imitate  him  who  now,  through 
faith  and  patience,  inherits  the  promises ! 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  now  left  alone,  to  struggle  with  a  va- 
riety of  difficulties.  His  lot  had  been  a  hard  one.  In  ad- 
dition to  great  manual  labour,  in  digging  a  long  watercourse, 
preparing  ground,  and  building,  he  had  been  compelled, 
from  his  scanty  allowance,  to  toil  with  his  own  hands,  to  pre- 
serve himself  and  family  from  perfect  beggary,  while  ex- 
posed to  heav^y  taxes  to  keep  nobles  in  good  humour,  endur- 
ing unremitting  liberties,  taken  by  those  who  seemed  to 
think  that  they  had  a  lawful  right  to  obtain,  by  any  and  by 
all  means,  what  they  could  lay  hands  upon  of  tlie  mission- 
ary's property.  One  day,  having  no  mills  at  that  time  to 
grind  corn,  he  sat  down,  according  to  ancient  custom,  and 
with  two  hand-stones,  as  they  were  called,  the  upper  being 
turned  with  a  handle  fixed  into  the  top,  he  laboured  and 
perspired  for  half  a  day,  in  order  to  obtain  as  much  meal  as 
w^ould  make  a  loaf  sufficient  to  serve  him  (then  alone)  for 
at  least  eight  days. 

Having  kneaded  and  baked  his  gigantic  loaf,  such  a  one 
as  had  not  graced  his  shelf  for  many  a  month,  he  went  to 
the  chapel,  and  returned  to  his  hut  in  the  evening,  with  a 
keen  appetite,  promising  himself  a  treat  of  his  coarse  home- 
made bread,  when,  alas  !  on  opening  the  door  of  his  hut,  and 
very  naturally  casting  his  eye  to  the  shelf,  he  perceived  the 
loaf  was  gone.  Some  one  had  forced  open  the  only  little 
window,  which  appeared  too  small  for  a  human  being  to 
enter,  but  which  served  as  a  place  of  egress  for  thief  and 
loaf  too;  and  thus  vanished  all  his  hopes  for  bread  to  sup- 
per, and  to  many  succeeding  meals. 

Not  discouraged  by  a  multitude  of  similar  mortifications, 
he  continued  his  cheerless  and  noiseless  career,  his  heart 
glowing  with  compassion  for  perishing  souls,  instant  at  all 
seasons  to  recommend  the  Saviour's  love,  and  his  iron  frame 
of  body  daily  bending  to  hard  labour.  He  did  not  possess 
those  means  by  which  a  few,  who  had  been  influenced  to 
attend  to  instructions,  might  be  prevailed  upon  to  persevere. 
The  results  of  the  Beaufort  fair  still  rankled  in  their  minds; 
and  when  Mr.  Hamilton  inquired  for  the  young  people  who 


POSITION    OF    TPIE    MISSIONARY.  167 

"were  wont  to  profess  a  desire  to  learn,  he  found  the  spell 
was  broken  which  had  for  a  season  made  them  the  objects 
of  hope.  This  lay  heavy  upon  his  mind,  as  though  a  most 
faithful,  laborious,  and  persevering  missionary,  he  was  very 
naturally  concerned  lest  he  might  be  charged  with  depriving 
them  of  a  single  privilege,  or  manifesting  the  shadow  of  in- 
attention to  the  interests  of  the  meanest  child. 

In  May,  1821,  according  to  arrangements  made  when  Mr. 
Campbell  left  the  country,  I  returned,  with  my  family,  to  the 
mission  ;  an  event  earnestly  desired  and  prayed  for  by  Mr. 
Hamilton,  as  well  as  ourselves,  and  which  would  have  taken 
place  much  earlier,  had  not  paramount  duties  at  Griqua 
Town  prevented.  The  following  chapters  will  contain  the 
continuation  of  missionary  conflicts  for  successive  years, 
during  which  our  faith  was  severely  tried,  while  the  object 
of  our  incessant  labours  and  prayers  seemed  to  fly  farther 
from  our  grasp.  As  each  succeeding  wave  rolled  heavier 
and  darker  still  over  our  heads,  the  heathen  would  ask,  in 
derision,  "  Where  is  your  God?"  They  will  also  exhibit  the 
dawn  of  Gospel  light  on  the  minds  of  that  people,  the  tri^ 
umph  of  divine  truth  crowning  our  labours  with  success ; 
so  that  now,  instead  of  a  solitary  missionary  station,  once  like 
tlie  burning  bush,  we  can  look,  with  feelings  no  pen  can  de- 
scribe, on  temples  raised  to  Jehovah,  and  crowds  assembled, 
not  to  hear  the  vociferations  of  the  fierce  warrior,  or  the  elo- 
quent and  martial  strains  of  the  senator,  labouring  to  arouse 
his  audience  to  revenge  and  war,  but  the  heavenly  message 
of  peace  and  love. 

Our  day,  sabbath,  and  infant  schools,  as  also  our  printing- 
presses,  are  at  work,  to  supply  the  increasing  wants  of  a 
reading  population ;  while  the  advanced  standard-bearer.s 
see  opening  doors,  and  hear  Macedonian  voices  saying, 
"  Come  over  and  help  us."  The  Basuto  country,  once  the 
theatre  of  plunder  and  bloodi>;hed,  is  now  studded  with  mis- 
sionary stations  of  the  French  Evangelical  and  Wesleyan 
Mis.sionary  Societies ;  so  that,  from  the  eastern  borders  of 
the  Southern  Zahara  to  Port  Natal,  a  phalanx  presents  it- 
self, which,  if  zealously  supported  by  faith  and  prayer,  will 
ere  long  enter  the  tropics,  and  advance  towards  nations 
which  will  require  another  mode  of  warfare,  to  oppose  pio- 
neers of  Islam  delusion. 

From  the  brief  notices  already  given  of  the  difficulties  the 
missionaries  had  to  encounter  in  obtaining  a  footing,  and 
the  still  greater  in  advancing  the  objects  of  the  mission, 
arising  from  the  peculiar  character  and  customs  of  the  people. 


163      POSITION  OF  THE  MISSIONARY  AMONG  THE  BECHUANAS. 

the  reader  will  be  comparatively  prepared  for  the  detail  of 
events  recorded  in  subsequent  pages.  The  situation  of  the 
missionary  among  the  Bechuanas  is  peculiar,  differing,  with 
slight  exception,  from  any  other  among  any  nation  on  the 
face  of  the  earth.  He  has  no  idolatry  to  arrest  his  progress, 
and  his  mind  is  not  overwhelmed  with  the  horrors  which  are 
to  be  found  in  countries  where  idols  and  idol  temples  are 
resorted  to  by  millions  of  devotees;  his  ears  are  never 
stunned  by  their  orgies  ;  his  eyes  are  never  offended  by 
human  and  other  sacrifices  nor  is  he  the  spectator  of  the 
unhappy  widow  immolated  on  the  funeral  pile  of  her 
husband;  the  infant  screams  of  Moloch's  victims  never  rend 
his  heart.  He  meets  with  no  sacred  streams,  nor  hears  of 
voluntary  victims  to  propitiate  the  anger  of  imaginary  deities. 
He  seeks  in  vain  to  find  a  temple,  an  altar,  or  a  single  em- 
blem of  heathen  worship.  No  fragments  remain  of  lormer 
days,  as  mementoes  to  the  present  generation,  that  their 
ancestors  ever  loved,  served,  or  reverenced  a  being  greater 
than  man.  A  profound  silence  reigns  on  this  awful  subject. 
Satan  has  been  too  successful  in  leading  captive  at  his  will 
a  majority  of  the  human  race,  by  an  almost  endless  variety 
of  deities.  As  if  creation  were  not  sufficiently  profuse,  vanity 
has  excited  a  host  of  inventive  and  degenerate  minds  to  form 
images,  of  every  shape  and  size,  exhibiting  the  horrid,  the 
ludicrous,  and  the  obscene.  While  Satan  is  obviously  the 
author  of  the  polytheism  of  other  nations,  he  has  employed 
his  agency,  with  fatal  success,  in  erasing  every  vestige  of 
religious  impression  from  the  minds  of  the  Bechuanas, 
Hottentots,  and  Bushmen  ;  leaving  them  without  a  single 
ray  to  guide  them  from  the  dark  and  dread  futurity,  or  a 
single  link  to  unite  them  with  the  skies. 

Thus  the  missionary  could  make  no  appeals  to  legends, 
or  to  altars,  or  to  an  unknown  God,  or  to  ideas  kindred  to 
those  he  wished  to  impart.  His  was  not  the  work  of  turning 
the  stream  backward  to  its  ancient  course.  Their  religious 
system,  like  those  streams  in  the  wilderness  which  loose 
theinselves  in  the  sand,  had  entirely  disappeared  ;  and  it 
devolved  on  the  missionaries  to  prepare  for  the  gracious  dis- 
tribution of  the  waters  of  salvation  in  that  desert  soil,  sowing 
the  seed  of  the  word,  breathing  many  a  prayer,  and  shedding 
many  a  tear,  till  the  Spirit  of  God  should  cause  it  to  vege- 
tate, and  yield  the  fruits  of  righteousness. 

It  has  often  occurred  to  me  Mdiile  perusing  the  letters  and 
journals  of  missionaries  in  India,  how  very  different  our  mode 
of  husbandry  is  from  theirs,  though  labouring  in  the   same 


PECULIAR    DIFFICULTIES.  ]  G9 

vineyard,  with  the  same  instruments,  and  having  the  same 
object  in  view,  the  gathering  in  of  spiritual  fruit  to  the  gar- 
ner of  our  God,  Our  difficulties  are  certainly  of  a  widely 
different  character,  and  some  have  thought  ours  in  Africa 
small  compared  with  those  which  our  brethren  have  to  en- 
counter in  India  and  elsewhere.  This  may  be  so  ;  but  during 
years  of  apparently  fruitless  labour,  I  have  often  wished  to 
find  something,  by  which  I  could  lay  hold  on  the  minds  of 
the  natives, — an  altar  to  an  unknown  God,  the  faith  of  their 
ancestors,  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  or  any  religious  asso- 
ciation ;  but  notliing  of  this  kind  ever  floated  in  their  minds. 
"  They  looked  upon  the  sun,"  as  Mr.  Campbell  very  graphi- 
cally said,  "  with  the  eyes  of  an  ox." 

To  tell  them,  the  gravest  of  them,  that  there  was  a  Cre- 
ator, the  governor  of  the  heavens  and  earth,  of  the  fall  of 
man,  or  the  redemption  of  the  world,  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  and  immortality  beyond  the  grave,  was  to  tell  them 
what  appeared  to  be  more  fabulous,  extravagant,  and  ludi- 
crous than  their  own  vain  stories  about  lions,  hyenas,  and 
jackals.  To  tell  them  that  these  were  articles  of  our  faith, 
would  extort  an  interjection  of  superlative  surprise,  as  if 
they  were  too  preposterous  for  the  most  foolish  to  believe. 
Our  labours  might  well  be  compared  to  the  attempts  of  a 
chikl  to  grasp  the  surface  of  a  polished  mirror,  or  tliose  of  a 
husbandman  labouring  to  transform  the  surface  of  a  granite 
rock  into  arable  land,  on  which  he  might  sow  his  seed.  To 
gain  attention  was  the  first  great  object  of  the  missionary  ; 
and  this  was  not  to  be  done  by  calm  reasoning,  or  exciting 
in  their  minds  a  jealousy  for  the  honour  of  their  own  religious 
rites  and  ceremonies,  for  these  they  did  not  possess.  What 
they  heard  was  all  right  provided  they  got  a  bit  of  tobacco, 
or  some  little  equivalent  for  their  time — a  thing  of  no  value 
to  them — which  they  spent  in  hearing  one  talk.  Some 
would  even  make  a  trade  of  telhng  the  missionary  that  they 
prayed,  by  which  means  God  directed  them  to  their  lost 
cattle,  at  a  few  yards  distance,  after  having  been  in  search 
of  them  several  days ;  and  that  in  the  same  way  he  had 
brought  game  within  reach  of  their  spears.  Replies  to 
questions  as  to  what  they  thought  of  the  Word  of  God,  were 
very  cheap  ;  and  if  they  supposed  that  by  such  means  they 
had  obtained  favour  and  respect,  their  success  would  be  the 
subject  of  merriment  in  their  own  circles.  Some  individu- 
als, to  my  knowledge,  who  had  carried  on  this  deception  in 
the   early  period   of  the   mission,   many  years   afterwards 

15 


170  EARLY   PROFESSIONS    NO    CRITERION. 

boasted  how  expert  they  had  been  in  thus  gulHng  the  mis- 
sionary. 

Although  they  had  received  much  instruction,  they  ap- 
peared never  for  one  moment  to  have  reflected  upon  it,  nor 
did  they  retain  traces  of  it  in  their  memories,  which  are 
generally  very  tenacious.  Accordingly,  most  of  those  who 
at  an  early  period  made  professions  to  please,  died  as  they 
had  lived,  in  profound  ignorance.  Munameets,  though  an 
early  friend  of  the  mission,  the  travelling  companion  of  Mr. 
Campbell,  and  one  of  the  most  sensible  and  intelligent  men 
of  the  nation,  than  whom  no  one  at  the  station  had  enjoyed 
equal  privileges,  made  the  following  remark  to  the  writer, 
in  his  usual  affectionate  way,  not  long  before  his  death — 
"  Ra-Mary,  your  customs  may  be  good  enough  for  you,  but  I 
never  see  that  they  fill  the  stomach,"  putting  his  hand  on 
his  own  ;  "  I  would  like  to  live  with  you,  because  you  are 
kind,  and  could  give  me  medicine  when  I  am  sick.  Though 
I  am  the  uncle  of  Mothibi,  I  am  the  dog  of  the  chief,  and 
must  gather  up  the  crumbs  (gorge  at  festivals).  I  am  one 
of  the  elders  of  the  peojjle,  and  though  I  am  still  a  youth 
(seventy  years!)  my  thoughts  and  perceptions  are  neither  so 
swift  nor  acute  as  they  were.  Perhaps  you  may  be  able  to 
make  the  children  remember  your  mekhua  (customs)." 

They  could  not  see  that  there  was  any  thing  in  our  cus- 
toms more  agreeable  to  flesh  and  blood  than  in  their  own, 
but  would,  at  the  same  time,  admit  that  we  were  a  wiser 
and  a  superior  race  of  beings  to  themselves.  For  this  su- 
periority some  of  their  wise  heads  would  try  to  account,  but 
this  they  could  only  do  on  the  ground  of  our  own  statements, 
that  a  Great  Being  made  man. 

A  wily  rain-maker,  who  was  the  oracle  of  the  village  in 
which  he  dwelt,  once  remarked  after  hearing  me  enlarge  on 
the  subject  of  creation,  "  If  you  verily  believe  that  that  Be- 
ing created  all  men,  then,  according  to  reason,  you  must  also 
beheve  that  in  making  wliite  people  he  has  improved  on  his 
work  ;  He  tried  his  hand  on  Bushmen  first,  and  he  did  not 
like  them,  because  they  were  so  ugly,  and  their  language 
like  that  of  the  frogs.  He  then  tried  his  hand  on  the  Hot- 
tentots, but  these  did  not  please  him  either.  Irle  then  exer- 
cised his  power  and  skill  and  made  the  Bechuanas,  which 
was  a  great  improvement ;  and  at  last  he  made  the  white  peo- 
ple ;  therefore,"  exulting  with  an  air  of  triumph  at  the  dis- 
covery, "  the  white  people  are  so  much  wiser  than  v.'e  are,  in 
making  walking-hou.ses  (v.agons),  teaching  the  oxen  to  draw 
them  over  hill  and  dale,  and  instructing  them  also  to  plough 


bechuana  government.  171 

the  gardens  instead  of  making  their  wives  do  it,  hke  the 
Bechuanas "  His  discovery  received  the  applause  of  the 
people,  while  the  poor  missionary's  arguments,  drawn  from 
the  source  of  Divine  truth,  were  thrown  into  the  shade. 
They  were  always  so  averse  to  reasoning  on  any  subjects 
of  this  nature,  that  the  missionary  felt  it  quite  a  treat  to 
meet  with  an  individual  who  would  enter  into  a  discussion, 
even  though  with  derision  and  scorn. 

With  all  their  concessions,  they  would,  with  little  cere- 
mony, pronounce  our  customs  clumsy,  awkward,  and  trou- 
blesome. They  could  not  account  for  our  putting  our  legs, 
feet,  and  arms  into  bags,  and  using  buttons  for  the  purpose 
of  fastening  bandages  round  our  bodies,  instead  of  suspend- 
ing them  as  ornaments  from  the  neck  or  hair  of  the  head. 
Washing  the  body,  instead  of  lubricating  it  with  grease  and 
red  ochre,  was  a  disgusting  custom,  and  cleanliness  about 
our  food,  house,  and  bedding,  contributed  to  their  amuse- 
ment in  no  small  degree.  A  native,  who  was  engaged 
roasting  a  piece  of  fat  zebra  flesh  for  me  on  the  coals,  was 
told  that  he  had  better  turn  it  with  a  stick,  or  fork,  instead 
of  his  hands,  which  he  invariably  rubbed  on  his  dirty  body 
for  the  sake  of  the  precious  fat.  This  suggestion  made  him 
and  his  companions  laugh  extravagantly,  and  they  were 
wont  to  repeat  it  as  an  interesting  joke  wherever  they  came. 

The  government  of  the  people  partakes  both  of  the  mon- 
archical and  patriarchal,  comparatively  mild  in  its  charac- 
ter. Each  tribe  has  its  chief  or  king,  who  commonly 
resides  in  the  largest  town,  and  is  held  sacred  from  his  he- 
reditary right  to  that  office.  A  tribe  generally  includes  a 
number  of  towns  or  villages,  each  having  its  distinct  head, 
under  whom  there  are  a  number  of  subordinate  chiefs. 
These  constitute  the  aristocracy  of  the  nation,  and  all  ac- 
knowledge the  supremacy  of  the  principal  one.  His  power, 
though  very  great,  and  in  .some  instances  despotic,  is  never- 
theless controlled  by  the  minor  chiefs,  who  in  their  pichos  or 
pitshos,  their  parliament,  or  public  meetings,  use  the  great- 
est plainness  of  speech  in  exposing  what  they  consider  cul- 
pable or  lax  in  his  government.  An  able  speaker  will 
sometimes  turn  the  scale  even  against  the  king,  if  w^e  may 
call  liirn  such. 

I  have  heard  Jiim  inveighed  against  for  making  women 
his  senators  and  his  wife  prime  minister,  while  the  audience 
were  requested  to  look  at  his  body,  and  see  if  he  were  not 
getting  too  corpulent ;  a  sure  indication  that  his  mind  was 
little  exercised  in  anxieties  about  the  welfare  of  his  people. 


172  NATIONAL    CUSTOMS. 

He  generally  opens  the  business  of  the  day  with  a  short 
speech,  reserving  his  eloquence  and  wisdom  to  the  close  of 
the  meeting,  when  he  analyses  the  speeches  that  have  been 
delivered,  and  never  forgets  to  lash  in  the  most  furious  lan- 
guage those  who  have  exposed  his  faults,  and  who,  as  he 
would  express  it,  have  walked  over  his  body,  placing  their 
feet  upon  his  neck.  This  is  all  taken  in  good  part,  and  the 
exhausted  chieftain  is  heartily  cheered  when  the  meeting 
dissolves.  These  assemblies  keep  up  a  tolerable  equilibrium 
of  power  between  the  chiefs  and  their  king,  but  they  are  only 
convened  when  differences  between  tribes  have  to  be  ad- 
justed, when  a  predatory  expedition  is  to  be  undertaken,  or 
when  the  removal  of  a  tribe  is  contemplated;  though  occa- 
sionally matters  of  less  moment  are  introduced. 

My  object  here  is  not  to  give  a  description  of  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  Bechuanas,  which  would  require  a  vol- 
ume, while  it  would  be  neither  very  instructive  nor  very  edi- 
fying. They  will,  moreover,  occasionally  be  referred  to  as 
they  stand  connected  with  circumstances  narrated  in  the 
course  of  the  work.  I  have  briefly  glanced  at  the  national 
council  as  the  stronghold  or  shield  of  the  native  customs,  in 
which  .speakers  have,  in  a  masterly  style,  inveighed  against 
any  aggression  on  their  ancient  ceremonies,  threatening  con- 
fiscation and  death  to  those  who  would  arraign  the  wisdom 
of  their  forefathers.  This  was  their  form,  while  the  responses 
of  nobles  were  the  pulse  of  the  nation.  But  private  thefts, 
murder,  and  a  host  of  other  crimes  passed  unnoticed  in  these 
assemblies,  and  were  left  to  the  avenger. 

Of  their  customs  they  are  as  tenacious  as  the  Hindoo 
could  be  of  his  caste,  that  dreadful  barrier  to  evangelization 
in  the  East  Indies.  Their  )^outh,  for  instance,  would  forfeit 
any  thing  rather  than  go  uncircumcised.  This  national  cere- 
mony is  performed  from  the  age  of  eiglit  to  fourteen,  and 
even  to  manhood,  though  the  children  born  previous  to  their 
parents  being  initiated  cannot  be  heirs  to  regal  power. 
There  is  much  feasting  and  dancing  on  the  occasion,  and 
every  heart  is  elated  at  these  festivities.  The  females  have 
also  their  boy  nil  at  the  same  age,  in  which  they  are  under 
the  tuition  of  matrons,  and  initiated  into  all  the  duties  of 
wives,  in  which  it  merits  notice,  that  passive  obedience  is 
especially  inculcated. 

After  these  tedious  ceremonies  are  over,  the  youth  appears 
lubricated,  assuming  the  character,  and  wearing  the  dress 
of  a  man,  while  he  is  con.sidered  able  to  bear  the  shield  and 
wield  the  javelin.     The  girls  also,  when  they  have  gone  the 


BARRIERS   TO   THE    GOSPEL.  173 

round  of  weeks,  drilling,  dancing,  singing,  and  listening  to 
the  precepts  of  the  grave  old  women,  have  a  piece  of  iron 
rather  hot  put  into  their  hands,  which  they  must  hold  fast 
for  a  time,  though  painful,  to  show  that  their  hands  are  hard 
and  strong  for  labour.  They  are  then  anointed,  and,  having 
put  on  the  usual  female  dress,  the  lower  part  of  their  hair  is 
shaven  off,  and  the  upper  part  profusely  bedaubed  with  a 
paste  of  butter  and  sebilo,  black  shining  ochre.  Raised  thus 
from  comparative  infancy  to  what  they  consider  woman- 
hood, they  view  themselves  with  as  much  complacency  as 
if  they  were  enrobed  in  the  attire  of  the  daughter  of  an  east- 
ern potentate.  They  have  reached  nearly  to  a  climax  in 
their  life,  for  they  expect  soon  to  be  married,  and  to  be  a 
mother  they  consider  the  chief  end  of  a  woman's  existence. 

These  ceremonies  were  prodigious  barriers  to  the  Gospel. 
Polygamy  was  another  obstacle,  and  the  Bechuanas,  jealous 
of  any  diminution  in  their  self-indulgence,  by  being  depriv^ed 
of  the  services  of  their  wives,  looked  with  an  extremely  sus- 
picious eye  on  any  innovation  on  this  ancient  custom.  Wliile 
going  to  war,  hunting,  watching  the  cattle,  milking  the  cows, 
and  preparing  their  furs  and  skins  for  mantles,  was  the  work 
of  the  men,  the  women  had  by  far  the  heavier  task  of  agri- 
culture, building  the  houses,  fencing,  bringing  firewood,  and 
heavier  than  all,  nature's  charge,  the  rearing  of  a  family. 
The  greater  part  of  the  year  they  are  constantly  employed  ; 
and  during  the  season  of  picking  and  sowing  their  gardens, 
their  task  is  galling,  living  on  a  coarse,  scanty  fare,  and  fre- 
quently having  a  babe  fastened  to  their  backs,  while  thus 
cultivating  the  ground. 

The  men,  for  obvious  reasons,  found  it  convenient  to  have 
a  number  of  such  vassals,  rather  than  only  one,  while  the 
M'oman  would  be  perfectly  amazed  at  one's  ignorance,  were 
she  to  be  told  that  she  would  be  much  happier  in  a  single 
state,  or  widowhood,  than  being  the  mere  concubine  and 
drudge  of  a  haughty  husband,  who  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  in  lounging  in  the  shade,  while  she  was  compelled, 
for  his  comfort  as  well  as  her  own,  to  labour  under  the  rays 
of  an  almost  vertical  sun,  in  a  hot  and  withering  climate. 
Their  houses,  which  require  considerable  ingenuity  as  well 
as  hard  labour,  are  entirely  the  work  of  the  w^omen,  who  are  ' 
extremely  thankful  to  carry  home  even  the  heavier  timbers, 
if  their  husbands  will  take  their  axes  and  fell  them  in  the 
thicket,  which  may  be  many  miles  distant.  The  centre  of 
the  conical  roof  will,  in  many  houses,  be  eighteen  feet  high, 
and  it  requires  no  little  scrambhng,  in  the  absence  of  lad- 

15* 


174  LABOURS    OF   THE   WOMEN. 

ders,  for  females  to  climb  such  a  height,  but  the  men  pass 
and  repass,  and  look  on  with  the  most  perfect  indifference, 
while  it  never  enters  their  heads  that  their  wife,  their  daugh- 
ter, or  their  mother,  may  fall  and  break  a  leg  or  neck. 
These  houses,  though  temporary,  and  requiring  great  labour 
to  keep  them  constantly  in  repair,  are  nevertheless  very  well 
adapted  to  the  climate.  They  admit  little  light,  which  is 
not  desirable  in  a  hot  country,  and  among  millions  of  house- 
flies  ;  but  during  the  winter  season  they  are  uncomfortably 
airy  and  cold. 

While  standing  near  the  wife  of  one  of  the  grandees,  who, 
with  some  female  companions  was  building  a  house,  and 
making  preparations  to  scramble  by  means  of  a  branch  on 
to  the  roof,  I  remarked  that  they  ought  to  get  their  husbands 
to  do  that  part  of  the  work.  This  set  them  all  into  a  roar 
of  laughter,  Mahuto,  the  queen,  and  several  of  the  men 
drawing  near  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  merriment,  the 
wives  repeated  my  strange,  and,  to  them,  ludicrous  proposal, 
when  another  peal  of  mirth  ensued.  Mahuto,  who  was  a 
sensible  and  .shre^vd  woman,  stated  that  the  plan,  though 
hopeless,  was  a  good  one,  as  she  often  thought  our  custom 
was  much  better  than  theirs.  It  was  reasonable  that  woman 
should  attend  to  household  affairs,  and  the  lighter  parts  of 
labour,  while  man,  wont  to  boast  of  his  superior  strength, 
should  employ  his  energy  in  more  laborious  occupations ; 
adding,  she  wished  I  would  give  their  husbands  medicine  to 
make  them  do  the  work.  This  remark  was  made  rather  in 
a  way  of  joke.  Poor  woman,  she  little  knew  then  that  there 
was  one  whose  omnipotent  voice  has  declared,  "  I  will  put 
my  Spirit  into  them,  and  create  new  hearts  within  them ;" 
but  now  blessed  be  His  holy  name,  she,  and  hundreds  more, 
have  been  publicly  baptized  into  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  of 
the  Son  of  God. 

Again,  the  habits  of  the  people  were  such  as  to  warn  us 
that  the  vision  would  tarry,  and  that  there,  as  well  as  in  the 
strongholds  of  idolatry,  it  was  to  be,  "  not  by  might  nor  by 
power,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord."  A  traveller,  such 
as  Lichtenstein,  whose  stay  was  very  short  among  the  Be- 
chuanas,  was  not  likely  to  form  an  adequate  judgment  of 
their  real  character.  They  are,  it  is  true,  like  the  Kafirs,  a 
superior  race,  have  a  dignity  and  openness,  the  natural  re- 
sults of  independence  ;  and  to  him  must  have  presented  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  slaves  of  the  colony,  whence  he  had 
come  :  but  that  they  manifest  the  utmost  "  contempt  of  all 
chicane  or  deceit,"  which  he  urges  as  a  proof  "  of  innate 


EECHUANA    CHARACTER.  175 

rectitude,  and  consciousness  of  natural  strength,"  is  not  cor- 
rect ;  and  had  he  dwelt  among  them,  and  sat  with  them  in 
their  public  and  private  councils,  lived  in  their  dwellings, 
accompanied  them  on  their  journeys,  and  mingled  with  them 
on  the  field  of  battle,  as  the  writer  has  done,  he  would  not 
have  attempted  to  revive  the  fiabled  delights  and  bhss  of  ig- 
norance, reported  to  exist  in  the  abodes  of  heathenism. 

When  we  attempted  to  convince  them  of  their  state  as 
sinners,  they  would  boldly  affirm,  with  full  belief  in  their  in- 
nate rectitude,  that  there  was  not  a  sinner  in  the  tribe,  re- 
ferring us  to  other  nations  whom  they  dreaded,  or  with  whom 
they  were  at  war ;  and  especially  the  poor  despised  Bush- 
men. That  they  are  less  ferocious  than  some  tribes,  we  ad- 
mit ;  but  this  is  saying  little  in  commendation  of  those  who 
could  with  impunity  rob,  murder,  lie,  and  exchange  wives. 
No  matter  how  disgraceful  the  action  might  be,  or  what  de- 
ceit, prevarication,  duplicity,  and  oaths,  were  required  to  sup- 
port it ;  success  made  them  perfectly  happy  in  a  practice  in 
wliich  most  were  adepts. 

When  they  are  styled  savages,  the  appellation  should  be 
understood  in  a  restrictive  sense,  especially  when  compared 
with  the  Zoolu  tribes  to  the  east,  who,  as  we  shall  yet  have 
occasion  to  show,  though  they  are  not  cannibals,  would,  in 
fiercest  barbarity,  vie  with  any  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  is- 
lands of  the  Pacific,  The  Bechuana  character  is  frank  and 
sociable,  which,  however,  does  not  appear  to  arise  from  a 
benevolence  of  disposition,  so  much  as  from  a  degree  of  eti- 
quette and  habits,  arising  from  relationship  and  locality.  It 
has  sometimes  perfectly  astounded  the  writer  to  see  indivi- 
duals who  he  had  supposed  were  amiable  and  humane,  when 
brought  into  certain  positions,  would,  as  if  in  their  native 
element,  wallow  in  crimes,  which  he  expected  they  would 
naturally  shudder  to  perpetrate.  Having  had  long  inter- 
course with  many  tribes,  he  feels  persuaded  that  what  he 
has  stated  w^ill  be  found  a  tolerably  correct  estimate  of  the 
Bechuana  character.  But  although  they  are  revengeful  to 
the  last  degree,  if  an  ofi'ender  propitiate  the  injured  party 
by  a  gift,  at  the  same  time  confessing  his  error,  or,  as  is  com- 
mon, put  the  blame  on  his  heart,  the  most  perfect  unanimity 
and  cordiality  succeeds. 

Mr.  Thompson  in  his  travels  correctly  remarks,  that, 
"  like  most  barbarians,  their  political  wisdom  consists  in  du- 
plicity and  petty  cunning ;  and  their  ordinary  wars  were 
merely  predatory  incursions  upon  their  weaker  neighbours 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  off  cattle,  with  as  little  exposure 


176  DIFFICULTIES   ON    ENTERING   ON   A    mSSlON. 

as  possible  of  their  own  lives.  Their  expeditions  against 
the  Bushmen  were  peculiarly  vindictive,  and  conducted  with 
all  the  insidiousness  and  murderous  ferocity,  without  the  he- 
roic intrepidity  of  American  or  New  Zealand  savages:"  ex- 
amples of  this  will  occur  hereafter.  All  these  characteris- 
tics are  only  what  the  records  of  Divine  truth  authorize  us 
to  expect  from  those  who  walk  according  to  the  prince  of  the 
power  of  the  air.  The  inspired  description  given  in  Rom. 
iii.  10 — 18,  is  the  real  transcript  of  the  condition  of  a  people 
who  have  no  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes.  Both  ancient 
and  modern  missionaries  have  found  it  so  ;  and  whoever 
goes  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  among  the 
heathen,  goes  on  a  warfare  which  requires  all  prayer  and 
supplication,  to  keep  his  armour  bright,  and  in  active  opera- 
tion, to  wrestle  and  struggle,  and  toil,  to  pulling  down  the 
strong-holds  of  Satan,  whether  in  Africa,  India,  or  the  islands 
of  the  Pacific. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


When  a  mission  is  commenced  among  a  barbarous  people, 
it  is  a  novelty  ;  every  thing  about  the  stranger  is  new.  His 
person,  dress,  and  implements  excite  their  surprise.  His 
manners  are  the  subject  of  conversation  ;  his  temporary 
abode  continues  to  be  visited  by  persons  from  a  distance,  to 
see  the  show  ;  but  instead  of  paying  for  their  entertainment, 
and  the  annoyance  their  presence  and  cravings  inflict  on  all 
occasions,  they  think  they  have  a  right  to  beg,  if  not  to  steal; 
that  they  may  have  some  tangible  proof  that  they  have  seen 
the  stranger,  and  experienced  his  kindness.  His  resources 
must  soon  fail,  and  distance  and  poverty  prevent  him  from 
replenishing  his  exhausted  stores.  He  finds  that  he  is  only 
commencing  his  hardships,  while  he  hears  their  hosannas 
changed  to  "  away  with  him,  away  with  him !"  This  re- 
verse assumes  a  more  serious  aspect,  when  they  perceive 
what  is  the  real  object  of  the  missionary,  and  anticipate  the 
probable  result  of  the  doctrines  taught.  The  natural  man 
in  the  grosser  form  of  a  savage,  broods  over  the  terrible 


ATHEISM    OF    THE    KAFIRS. 


itr 


havoc  the  new  system  will  make  with  his  darling  pleasures  ; 
and  violently  rebels  at  the  axe  being  laid  at  the  root  of  his 
sensual  enjoyments,  without  which  life  would  be  a  grievous 
burden  to  him.  This  is  a  period  in  which  the  iaith  and  the 
patience  of  the  missionary  are  put  to  the  test  ;  and  surely 
no  where  more  so  than  among  a  lawless  rabble. 

The  next  barrier  to  be  noticed,  before  concluding  the  sub- 
ject, is,  the  entire  absence  of  tlieological  ideas,  or  religion, 
which  has  already  been  briefly  glanced  at.  Dr.  Vander- 
kemp,  in  his  account  of  the  Kafirs,  makes  the  following  re- 
mark: "  If  by  religion  we  mean  reverence  for  God,  or  the 
external  action  by  which  that  reverence  is  expressed,  I  never 
could  perceive  that  they  had  any  religion,  nor  any  idea  of 
the  existence  of  a  God.  I  am  speaking  nationally,  for  there 
are  many  individuals  who  have  some  notion  of  His  exist- 
ence, which  tliey  have  received  from  adjacent  nations.  A 
decisive  proof  of  the  truth  of  what  I  here  say  with  respect  to 
the  national  atheism  of  the  Kafirs,  is,  that  they  have  no 
word  in  their  language  to  express  the  idea  of  the  Deity  ;  the 
individuals  just  mentioned,  calling  him  'Thiko,  which  is  a 
corruption  of  the  name  by  which  God  is  called  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Hottentots,  literally  signifying,  one  that  induces 
pain." 

To  the  above  description  given  by  Dr.  V.,  I  may  add,  that 
though  I  am  aware  Uhlanga  is  also  used  by  the  Kafirs  to 
denote  a  Supreme  Being,  from  what  I  know  of  the  habits 
of  the  interior  tribes,  I  perfectly  agree  with  the  Rev.  S.  Kay, 
in  his  account  of  the  Amakosa  genealogy,  that  Uhlanga  or 
Thlanga  is  the  name  of  the  oldest  of  their  kings,  by  whom 
they  swore  in  former  times  ;  a  custom  which  obtains  univer- 
sally in  the  interior.  "  It  seems  to  me  therefore,"  says  the 
late  Mr.  Pringle,  in  his  African  Sketches,  "  doubtful,  whether 
the  god  Uhlanga  be  not  merely  a  deified  chief  or  hero,  like 
the  Thor  and  Woden  of  our  Teutonic  ancestors  :"  and  the 
8ame  writer  adds,  "  The  Hottentot  word  UWho/is  nowusedby 
all  the  frontier  (Kafir)  tribes,  to  denote  the  Christian's  God." 
These  remarks  will  equally  apply  to  the  Hottentots  and 
Namaquas,  who  are  one  people.  While  living  among  the 
latter,  I  made  many  inquiries  respecting  the  name  they  had 
to  denote  the  Divine  Being,  but  could  not  come  to  any  satis- 
factory conclusion  on  the  subject,  though  I  had  the  assistance 
of  Africaner  in  my  researches.  The  name  they  use  is 
Tsui'kuap,  or,  as  some  tribes  pronounce  it,  Uti'kuap  :  the 
Uti'ko  of  the  Hottentots  is  articulated  with  the  click  or  cluck 
peculiar  to  that  language. 


178  THE    PRAYING    MANTIS. 

In  my  journey  to  the  back  parts  of  Great  Namaqiia-land, 
I  met  with  an  aged  sorcerer,  or  doctor,  who  stated  that  he 
had  always  understood  that  Tsui'kuap  was  a  notable  war- 
rior, of  great  physical  strength;  that,  in  a  desperate  struggle 
with  another  chieftain,  he  received  a  wound  in  the  knee, 
but  having  vanquished  his  enemy,  his  name  was  lost  in  the 
mighty  combat,  which  rendered  the  nation  independent ;  for 
no  one  could  conquer  the  Tsui'kuap  (wounded  knee.)  When 
I  referred  to  the  import  of  the  word,  one  who  inflicts  pain, 
or  a  sore  knee,  manifesting  my  surprise  that  they  should  give 
such  a  name  to  the  Creator  and  Benefactor,  he  replied  in  a 
way  that  induced  a  belief  that  he  applied  the  term  to  what 
we  should  call  the  devil,  or  to  death  itself;  adding  that  he 
thought  "  death,  or  the  power  causing  death,  was  very  sore 
indeed."  To  him,  as  to  many  others,  this  Tsui'kuap  was  an 
object  neither  of  reverence  nor  love.  During  tremendous 
thunder-storms,  which  prevail  in  that  climate,  and  which  it 
might  be  supposed  would  speak  to  the  mind  of  man  with  an 
awful  voice,  I  have  known  the  natives  of  Narnaqua-iand 
shoot  their  poisoned  arrows  at  the  lightning,  in  order  to  arrest 
the  destructive  fluid.*  May  not  the  Tsui'kuap  of  these 
people  be  like  the  Thlanga  of  the  Kafirs,  an  ancient  hero ; 
or  represent  some  power,  which  they  superstitiously  dread, 
from  its  causing  death  or  pain  1  The  praying  Mantis,  as  it 
is  called,  from  the  erect  position  and  motion  it  assumes  when 
alarmed,  which  is  said  to  have  been  worshipped  by  the  Hot- 
tentots, has  no  homage  paid  to  it  in  Namaqua-land :  at  lea.st 
Africaner's  people  knew  nothing  of  it. 

Dr.  Sparrman,  who  had  better  opportunities  of  ascertain- 
ing the  fact  than  any  one  else,  remarks,  that  so  far  from  wor- 
shipping this  genus  of  insects,  they  have  more  than  once 
caught  several  for  him,  and  assisted  him  in  sticking  pins 
through  them.  "  There  is,  however,"  he  adds,  "  a  diminu- 
tive species  of  insects,  which  some  think  it  would  be  a  crime, 
as  well  as  dangerous,  to  harm  ;  but  this  we  have  no  more 
reason  to  look  upon  as  any  kind  of  religious  worship,  than 
we  have  to  consider  in  the  same  light  a  certain  superstitious 
notion  prevalent  among  many  of  the  more  simple  people  in 
our  own  country,  (Sweden,)  who  imagine  that  their  sins  will 
be  forgiven  them  if  they  set  a  cock-chafer  on  its  feet,  that 
has  happened  to  fall  on  its  back.      This  will  equally  apply  to 

*  I  knew  a  man  who,  though  warned  by  myself  ami  others  of  this  dar- 
ing practice,  persisted,  and  was  struck  dead'  by  the  lightning.  1  have 
also  heard  of  Bushmen  throwing  old  shoes  at  it,  or  any  thing  they  may 
happen  to  lay  hold  of. 


THE   MORIMO   OF    THE   BECHUANAS.  179 

the  lady-bird  and  caterpiller,  Avhich  children  in  England 
were  wont  to  be  afraid  of  injuring  lest  it  should  rain,  though 
it  was  not  an  object  of  religious  veneration.  Some  travellers 
have  made  a  reference  to  the  moon,  as  an  object  of  worship 
by  the  Africans,  because  they  dance  in  her  light ;  but  this  is 
no  proof  that  they  worship  her,  any  more  than  a  countryman, 
in  our  own  father-land,  who  prefers  a  moonlight  night  to  a 
dark  one  to  perform  a  journey.  To  those  who  have  not 
been  in  warm  climates,  no  idea  can  be  formed  how  delight- 
ful the  cool  and  silver  moonbeams  are.  No  wonder,  then, 
that  the  natives,  after  sleeping  soundly  during  the  heat  of 
the  day,  employ  that  refreshing  season  in  the  dance  and 
song.  The  moonlight  does  not  only  tranquilize  but  exhilar- 
ates, while  her  bright  horns  are  to  them  what  lamps  and 
chandeliers  are  to  our  splendid  assemblies  at  home.  It  is 
impossible  for  any  but  an  eye-witness  to  conceive  of  the  dis- 
mal darkness  which  pervades  a  native  village  where  neither 
lamp  nor  candle  was  ever  thought  of 

Among  the  Bechuana  tribes,  the  name  adopted  by  the 
missionaries  is  Morimo.  This  has  the  advantage  of  the 
names  used  by  the  Kafirs  and  Hottentots,  being  more  defi- 
nite, as  its  derivation  at  once  determines  its  meaning.  Mo 
is  a  personal  prefix,  and  rimo  is  from  gorimo  '  above.'  From 
the  same  root  legorimn^  'heaven,'  and  its  plural  magorimo^ 
are  derived.  The  genius  of  the  Sechuana  language  warrants 
us  to  expect  a  correspondence  between  the  name  and  the 
thing  designated  ;  but  in  this  instance  the  order  is  reversed. 
Morimo,  to  those  who  know  any  thing  about  it,  had  been 
represented  by  rain-makers  and  sorcerers  as  a  malevolent 
selo.  or  thinir,  which  the  nations  in  tlie  north  described  as 
existing  in  a  hole,  and  which,  like  the  fairies  in  the  High- 
lands of  Scotland,  sometimes  came  out  and  inflicted  diseases 
on  men  and  cattle,  and  even  caused  death.  This  Morimo 
served  the  purpose  of  a  bugbear,  by  which  the  rain-maker 
might  constrain  tlie  chiefs  to  yield  to  his  suggestions,  when 
he  wished  for  a  slaughter-ox,  without  which  he  pretended  he 
could  not  make  rain. 

Morimo  did  not  then  convey  to  the  mind  of  those  who 
heard  it  the  idea  of  God;  nor  did  Barimo.  although  it  was 
an  answer  to  the  question  '  where  do  men  go  when  they 
die?'  signify  heaven.  According  to  one  rule  of  forming  the 
plural  of  personal  nouns  beginning  with  mo^  Barimo  would 
only  be  the  plural  of  Morimo  ;  as  Monona,  '  a  man  ;'  Ba- 
nona,  '  men.'  But  the  word  is  never  used  in  this  form ;  nor 
did  it  convey  to  the  Bechuana  mind  the  idea  of  a  person  or 


180  NOTION    OF    man's    ORIGIN. 

persons  but  of  a  state  or  disease,  or  what  superstition  would 
style  being  bewitched.  If  a  person  were  talking  foolishly, 
or  wandering  in  his  intellect,  were  delirious,  or  in  a  fit,  they 
would  call  him  Barirno ;  which,  among  some  tribes,  is  tanta- 
mount to  liriti^  shades  or  manes  of  the  dead.  '  Going  to 
Barimo'  did  not  convey  the  idea  that  they  were  gone  to  any 
particular  state  of  permanent  existence  ;  for  man's  immor- 
tality was  never  heard  of  among  that  people  ;  but,  simply, 
that  they  died.  They  could  not  describe  who  or  what 
Morimo  was,  except  something  cunning  or  malicious;  and 
some  who  had  a  purpose  to  serve,  ascribed  to  him  power, 
but  it  was  such  as  a  Bushman  doctor  or  quack  could  grunt 
out  of  the  bowels  or  afflicted  part  of  the  human  body. 
They  never,  however,  disputed  the  propriety  of  our  using 
the  noun  Morimo  for  the  great  Object  of  our  worship,  as 
some  of  them  admitted  that  their  forefathers  might  have 
known  more  about  him  than  they  did.  They  never  applied  the 
name  to  a  human  being,  except  in  a  way  of  ridicule,  or  in  adu- 
lation to  those  who  taught  his  greatness,  wisdom,  and  power. 

As  to  the  eternity  of  this  existence,  they  appear  never  to 
have  exercised  one  thought.  Morimo  is  never  called  ma7i,. 
As  the  pronouns  agree  with  the  noun,  those  which  Morimo 
governs  cannot,  without  the  greatest  Adolence  to  the  lan- 
guage, be  applied  to  Mogorimo^  '  a  heavenly  one,'  which 
refers  to  a  human  being.  This  power  is,  in  the  mouth 
of  a  rain-maker,  what  a  disease  v>'ould  be  in  the  lips 
of  a  quack,  just  as  strong  or  weak  as  he  is  pleased 
to  call  it.  I  never  once  heard  that  Morimo  did  good, 
or  was  supposed  capable  of  doing  so.  More  modern  in- 
quiries among  the  natives  might  lead  to  the  supposition 
that  he  is  as  powerful  to  do  good  as  he  is  to  do  evil ;  and 
that  he  has  as  great  an  inclination  for  the  one  as  for  the 
other.  It  will,  however,  be  found  that  this  view  of  his  attri- 
butes is  the  result  of  twenty-five  years'  missionary  labour ; 
the  influences  of  which,  in  that  as  well  as  in  other  respects, 
extend  hundreds  of  miles  beyond  the  immediate  sphere  of 
the  missionary.  It  is  highly  probable,  however,  that,  as  we 
proceed  farther  into  the  interior,  we  shall  find  the  natives 
possessing  more  correct  Anews  on  these  subjects. 

According  to  native  testimony,  Morimo,  as  well  as  man, 
with  all  the  different  species  of  animals,  came  out  of  a  cave 
or  hole  in  the  Bakone  country,  to  the  north,  where,  say  they, 
their  footmarks  are  still  to  be  seen  in  the  indurated  rock, 
which  was  at  that  time  sand.  In  one  of  Mr.  Hamilton's 
early  journals,  he  records  that  a  native  had  informed  him 


A    WOMAN    SEES   MORIMO.  181 

that  the  footmarks  of  Morimo  were  distinguished  by  being 
without  toes.  Once  I  heard  a  man  of  influence  telling  his 
story  on  the  subject.  I  of  course  coukl  not  say  that  I 
beheved  the  wondrous  tale,  but  very  mihlly  hinted  that  he 
might  be  misinformed;  on  which  he  became  indignant,  and 
swore  by  his  ancestors  and  his  king,  that  he  had  visited  the 
spot,  and  paid  a  tax  to  see  the  wonder ;  and  that,  conse- 
quently his  testimony  was  indubitable.  I  very  soon  cooled 
his  rage,  by  telling  him,  that  as  I  should  likely  one  day  visit 
those  regions,  I  should  certainly  think  myself  very  fortunate 
if  I  could  get  him  as  a  guide  to  that  wonderful  source  of 
animated  nature.  Smiling,  he  said,  "  Ha,  and  I  shall  show 
you  the  footsteps  of  the  very  first  man."  This  is  the  sum- 
total  of  the  knowledge  which  the  Bechuanas  possessed  of 
the  origin  of  what  they  call  Morimo,  prior  to  the  period 
when  they  were  visited  by  missionaries.  Thus  their  Ibolish 
hearts  are  darkened  ;  and  verily  this  is  a  darkness  which 
may  be  felt.  Such  a  people  are  living  in  what  Job  calls  "  a 
land  of  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death,"  spiritually  buried, 
and  without  knowledge,  life,  or  light. 

When  the  rain-maker  w^anted  something  to  do,  he  would 
pretend  to  work,  or  rather  find  work,  for  those  who  would 
chide  him  with  having  a  cloudless  sky  instead  of  rain.  To 
gain  time  was  his  grand  study  ;  and  he  was  ingenious  in 
inventing  causes  for  the  drought.  I  remember  the  wife  of 
a  poor  man  who  returned  from  the  hills  with  a  bundle  of 
firewood,  brinoinjT  wondrous  tidings  that  she  had  seen 
Morimo.  This  moment  was  eagerly  seized  by  that  arch 
official,  and  turned  to  account.  He  was  an  adept  in  the 
study  of  human  nature,  and  knew  that  he  was  tolerably  safe 
if  he  could  keep  the  ladies  employed ;  for  he  had  heard 
murmurings  in  the  towns.  He  delivered  his  mandate,  and 
thousands  of  women  from  the  towns  and  villages  followed 
tiieir  oracle  to  the  side  of  a  neighbouring  hill,  where  all 
began  to  work  ;  and  though  many  had  empty  stomachs,  an 
extensive  garden  was  cleared  and  cultivated  for  Morimo, 
Happy  the  poor  woman  who  thus,  without  being  a  A^entrilo- 
quist  or  Pythoness,  had  enabled  the  rain-maker  to  fall  on  so 
lucky  a  stratagem.  She  fared  well,  whoever  fasted ;  and 
though  the  heavens  continued  as  brass,  and  the  earth  as 
iron,  she  became,  by  the  gifts  of  rich  and  poor,  a  spectacle 
of  obesity,  and  soon  died.  This  may  account  for  the  town 
people  knowing  something  about  the  name  Morimo,  where 
the  inhabitants  of  many  villages  and  hamlets,  being  without 
rain-makers,  are  in  perfect  ignorance. 

16 


182  rain-maker's  sagacity. 

Even  the  rain-maker  when  asked  by  the  missionar}^  why 
he  could  thus  honour  the  little  malicious  thing  which  they 
called  Morimo,  that  only  came  out  of  a  hole  to  inflict  pain 
taking  advantage  of  our  Christian  views  as  to  the  meaning 
of  the  word,  would  promptly  reply,  "  Do  not  you  say  Morimo 
is  the  governor  of  the  heavens,  and  that  he  only  can  make 
rain?  why  then  should  we  not  honour  him?"  This  showed 
his  skill  in  the  appropriation  of  our  principles  to  serve  his 
own  purposes.  He  also  exhibited  considerable  cunning  in 
ttiis  transfer ;  for,  should  rain  not  come  at  his  call,  he  could 
bring  in  the  Morimo  of  the  teachers  for  some  part,  if  not  the 
whole,  of  the  blame.  Thu.«:,  when  hail  injured  their  crops, 
or  rain  fell  in  the  cold  and  unseasonable  part  of  the  year, 
they  would  use  the  vilest  epithets,  and  curse  both  the  mis- 
sionaries and  their  Morimo.  When  we  assured  them  that 
God  was  in  the  'heavens,  and  that  He  did  whatever  He 
pleased,  they  blamed  us  for  giving  Him  a  high  position 
beyond  their  reach ;  for  they  viewed  their  Morimo  as  a 
noxious  reptile.  "  Would  that  I  could  catch  it,  I  would 
transfix  it  with  my  spear,"  exclaimed  S.,  a  chief,  whose 
judgment  on  other  subjects  would  command  attention. 

As  the  science  of  rain-making,  and  the  character  of  one 
of  whom  it  might  have  been  said  he  had  got  a  patent,  will 
be  described  in  a  following  chapter,  I  shall  confine  my.self  in 
this  to  replying  to  many  questions  which  have  been  put  to 
me  in  this  country,  as  to  the  extent  of  the  knowledge  of  di- 
vine things  among  the  natives  of  South  Africa.  I  am  aware 
that  the  popular  opinion  is,  that  "  man  is  a  religious  crea- 
ture ;"  that  "  wherever  he  is  to  be  found,  there  also  are  to 
be  traced  the  impressions  and  even  convictions  of  the  exist- 
ence of  a  God."  It  is  also  commonly  believed,  that  wher- 
CA'^er  man  is  found  scattered  over  the  wide  spread  surface  of 
earth's  domain,  the  knowledge  of  a  "  vicarious  oftering,"  or 
sacrifice,  by  way  of  atonement,  has  retained  its  seat  in  the 
human  mind.  Such  were  my  own  views  when  I  left  my 
native  land ;  and  entertaining  such  views,  I  persuaded  my- 
self, or  rather  tried  to  persuade  myself,  that  I  could  discover 
rays  of  natural  light,  innate  ideas  of  a  Divine  Being,  in  the 
most  untutored  savage  ; — that  I  could  never  be  at  any  loss  to 
make  appeals  to  something  analogous  to  our  own  faith  in 
the  religious  notions  even  of  those  among  whom  not  a  ves- 
tige of  temple,  altar,  image,  idol,  or  shrine,  was  to  be  found. 
When  1  was  unsuccessful,  I  attributed  it  to  my  ignorance  of 
the  language,  or  the  paucity  of  competent  interpreters.  So 
great  was  the  force  of  early  prejudices,  that  it  was  a  long 


DEPLORABLE  IGNORANCE.  183 

time  before  I  could  be  induced  to  embrace  what  I  once  con- 
sidered an  erroneous  view  of  the  subject.  Living  amon^r  a 
people  who  were  not  in  the  habit  of  metapliysical  disquisi- 
tions, which  so  often  bewilder  the  understanding,  I  had  only 
to  draw  conclusions  from  facts,  which,  according  to  the  pro- 
verb, are  '■'•  stubborn  things,"  though  even  these  sometimes 
fail  to  convince.  Having  asked  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, as  we  were  walking  together,  upon  the  views  of  a  na- 
tive Christian  from  Namaqua-land,  with  whom  we  had  been 
conversing  on  this  subject,  and  who  had  been  giving  us  an 
ample  and  descriptive  account  of  his  former  ideas,  Mr.  C. 
remarked,  in  his  usual  pithy  style,  "  Ah,  sir,  the  people  in 
England  would  not  believe  that  men  could  become  like  pigs, 
eating  acorns  under  the  tree,  without  being  capable  of  look- 
ing up  to  see  from  whence  they  came.  People  wlio  have 
hatl  the  Christian  lullaby  sung  over  their  cradles,  and  sipped 
the  knowledge  of  divine  things  with  their  mother's  milk, 
think  all  men  must  see  as  they  do." 

One  of  the  most  convincing  proofs  that  the  minds  of  the 
people  are  covered  by  the  profoundest  darkness,  is,  that  af- 
ter the  missionary  has  endeavoured  for  hours  to  impart  to 
them  a  knowledge  of  the  Divine  Being,  they  not  unfre- 
quently  address  to  him  the  question,  "  What  is  it  you  wish 
to  tell  me  ?"  And  if  any  thing  were  wanting  to  confirm 
this  conviction,  surely  this  fact  will  be  sufficient,  that  even 
where  he  has  succeeded  in  conveying  to  the  vacant  mind  of 
the  savage,  ideas  which  he  considers  as  paramount  to  all 
others,  he  is  told  that,  certainly  these  fables  are  very  won- 
derful, but  not  more  so  than  their  own. 

Inquiring  one  day  of  a  group  of  natives  whom  I  had  been 
addressing,  if  any  of  them  had  previously  known  that  Great 
Being  which  had  been  described  to  them  ;  among  the  whole 
party  I  found  only  one  old  woman,  who  said  that  she  re- 
membered hearing  the  name  Morimo  when  she  was  a  child, 
but  was  not  told  what  the  thing  was.  Indeed,  even  in 
towns,  the  general  reply  on  that  subject  is,  that  these  are 
things  about  which  the  old  people  can  speak  ;  but  as  they 
are  not  in  the  habit  of  instructing  the  rising  generation  on 
such  topics,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  even  these  vague  notions 
become  extinct  altogether,  as  they  have  done  in  many  parts 
of  the  country.  Nor  is  it  surprising  that  a  chief,  after  lis- 
tening attentively  to  me  while  he  stood  leaning  on  his  spear, 
should  utter  an  exclamation  of  amazement,  that  a  man 
whom  he  accounted  wise,  should  vend  such  fables  for  truths. 
Callhig  about  thirty  of  his  men,  who  stood  near  him,  to  ap- 


131  TESTIMONY   OF   A   CONVERT. 

proach,  he  addressed  them,  pointing  to  me,  "  There  is  Ra- 
Mary,  (Father  of  Mary,)  who  tells  me,  that  the  heavens 
were  made,  the  earth  also,  by  a  beginner,  whom  he  calls  Mo- 
rimo.  Have  you  ever  heard  any  thing  to  be  compared  with 
this  ?  He  says  that  the  sun  rises  and  sets  by  the  power  of 
Morimo  ;  as  also  that  Morimo  causes  winter  to  follow  sum- 
mer, the  winds  to  blow,  the  rain  to  fall,  the  grass  to  grow, 
and  the  trees  to  bud ;"  and  casting  his  arm  above  and 
around  him,  added,  "  God  works  in  every  thing  you  see  or 
hear!  Did  ever  you  hear  such  words?"  Seeing  them 
ready  to  burst  into  laughter,  he  said,  "  Wait,  I  shall  tell  you 
more  ;  Ra-Mary  tells  me  that  we  have  spirits  in  us,  which 
will  never  die  ;  and  that  our  bodies,  though  dead  and  buried, 
will  rise  and  live  again.  Open  your  ears  to-day  ;  did  you 
ever  hear  litlamane  (fables)  like  these  ?"  This  was  ibl- 
lowed  by  a  burst  of  deafening  laughter,  and  on  its  partially 
subsiding,  the  chief  man  begged  me  to  say  no  more  on  such 
trifles,  lest  the  people  should  think  me  mad! 

But  it  is  to  the  testimony  of  such  as  have  been  brought 
out  of  darkness  into  the  marvellous  light  of  the  Gospel,  that 
we  must  look  for  decisive  evidence  on  this  point.  The  fol- 
lowing is  one  example  out  of  many  which  could  be  given. 
The  question  being  put  to  one  whose  memory  was  tenacious 
as  his  judgment  was  enlightened,  "  How  did  you  feel  in  your 
natural  state,  before  hearing  the  Gospel?  How  did  you  feel 
upon  retiring  from  private  as  well  as  public  crimes,  and  lay- 
ing your  head  on  the  silent  pillow  ?  Were  there  no  fears  in 
your  breast,  no  spectres  before  your  eyes,  no  conscience  ac- 
cusing you  of  having  done  wrong?  No  palpitations,  no 
dread  of  futurity  ?"  "  No,"  said  he.  "  How  could  we  feel, 
or  how  could  we  fear  ?  We  had  no  idea  that  an  unseen  eye 
saw  us,  or  that  an  unseen  ear  heard  us.  What  could  we 
know  beyond  ourselves,  or  of  another  world,  before  life  and 
immortality  were  brought  to  us  by  the  word  of  God."  This 
declaration  was  followed  by  a  flood  of  tears,  while  he  added, 
"  You  found  us  beasts  and  not  men." 


CHAPTER    XYII. 

The  preceding  chapter  contains  facts  from  which  iniport- 
ant  deductions  may  be  drawn  ;  and  the  writer  has  involun- 
tarily been  led  to  inquire,  Are  we  compelled  to  enter  the 
gloomy  recesses  of  heathenism  ?  If  we  look  at  home — a  land 
of  light — shall  we  not  find  individuals  whose  ignorance 
would  equal  that  either  of  Hottentot  or  Bechuana  1  Have 
not  our  noble  band  of  home  missionaries  brought  to  light 
instances  of  the  grossest  darkness?  How  many  are  there 
who  have  resisted  the  force  of  every  argument  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  even  laughed  to  scorn  every  article  in  our  creed, 
and  have  died  martyrs  to  atheism  !  Let  us  go  to  the  asylums 
for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  and  we  shall  find  there  persons 
having  eyes  to  see  and  gaze  on  the  infinitude  of  wonders  in 
creation,  and  possessing  minds  capable  of  reasoning  from 
efiect  to  cause,  who,  previous  to  their  being  instructed,  were 
perfectly  ignorant  of  a  Divine  Being.  While  then  we  have 
these  facts  before  us,  we  feel  cortipelled  to  difier  in  opinion 
from  those  who  would  have  us  believe,  that  the  volume  of 
Nature  "  affords  the  primary  and  entire  proof  of  God's 
existence ;"  and  "  to  vindicate  his  claim  to  be,  he  leaves  to 
the  heavens  which  declare  his  glory,  to  the  firmament  which 
showeth  his  handywork,  to  the  days  which  utter  knowledge, 
and  the  nights  which  proclaim  wisdom."  The  preceding 
examples  exhibit  to  our  view  sentient  beings,  whose  minds, 
notwithstanding  the  indications  of  Divine  wisdom,  power, 
and  goodness  in  creation,  are  unconscious  of  any  existence 
beyond  what  they  see  and  feel.  This  demonstrates  that  all 
the  knowledge  of  Divine  things  existing  in  every  nation, 
from  the  refined  Greek  down  a  thousand  generations,  through 
the  numberless  shades  of  polytheism  to  the  rude  barbarian, 
is  to  be  traced  to  Divine  Revelation,  whether  written  or 
traditional,  and  not  to  innate  or  intuitive  ideas.  This  view 
of  the  subject  we  shall  find,  on  more  minute  inquiry,  in  per- 
fect accordance  with  the  declarations  contained  in  the 
inspired  volume.  For  "  it  is  He  that  teacheth  man  know- 
ledge. I  am  the  Lord  that  maketh  all  things,  that  stretch- 
eth  forth   the    heavens   alone,  that   spreadeth    abroad   the 

16* 


186  THE    INVISIBLE    THINGS    OF    GOD. 

heavens  by  myself."  These  are  the  declarations  of  the 
great  "  I  AM  ;"  and  without  such  a  revelation,  the  world  by 
wisdom  could  never  have  found  out  God.  It  is  recorded  by 
some  author,  that  there  were  two  periods  of  the  world  in 
which  the  knowledge  of  God  was  universal.  This  was  at 
the  creation,  and  during  the  days  of  Noah,  after  the  flood. 
At  the  former  period  the  revelation  must  have  been  made 
known  by  God  himself;  and  at  the  latter  by  the  preacher 
of  righteousness  in  his  own  family.  Keeping  this  in  mind, 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  understanding  the  following  declara- 
tion of  the  Apostle.  "  For  the  invisible  things  of  Him  (His 
eternal  power  and  Godhead)  revealed  or  made  known  at 
the  creation  of  the  world,  are  clearly  seen,  being  understood 
by  the  things  that  are  made,  even  his  eternal  power  and 
godhead."*  That  the  stupendous  earth  and  heavens,  and 
the  endless  variety  of  order,  change,  and  the  dazzling 
beauty  and  grandeur  of  every  thing  touched  by  the  finger  of 
Jehovah,  do  testify  with  a  voice,  loud  as  the  thunder's  roar, 
clear  as  the  noon-tide  beam,  there  can  be  no  question  ;  but 
surely  not  by  uttering  speech  to  a  previously  uninformed 
mind,  and  conveying  the  primary  idea  of  the  existence  of 
God.  This,  in  my  humble  opinion,  is  not  what  the  Apostle 
intended  to  convey,  but  simply  that  God  originally  imparted 
the  knowledge  of  his  own  being  to  man,  and  that  tradition 
has  circulated  the  report  through  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
which  has  undergone,  by  satanic  influence  on  the  minds  of 
fallen  creatures,  all  those  modifications  presented  to  us  in 
the  pantheon,  or  in  the  minds  of  savages. 

The  Scriptures,  so  far  from  teaching  us  that  we  may  infer 
the  being  of  a  God  from  the  works  of  creation,  assert  that 
our  knowledge  of  the  visible  universe,  as  the  production  of 
God's  creative  power,  is  derived,  not  from  the  deductions  of 
reason,  but  from  a  belief  of  the   Divine  testimony  revealing 

*  Romans  i.  20: — "  For  (Xar^,  nam,  siquidnn,  forasmuch  as)  the  invisi- 
ble things  of  him,  his  eternal  power  and  godhead,  as  afterwards  explained, 
from  not  Ik,  but  d»rt5,  ever  since,  the  creation  of  the  vu)rld,  when  they  were 
fully  communicated,  are  dcaj-ly  seen,  because  after  a  declaration  of  his 
nature  and  existence,  the  Divine  attributes  are  plainly  evinced,  being  un- 
derstood viifitva,  explained  to  the  understanding,  by  the  things  that  are 
made,  noiriiiaai,  the  works  of  God,  or  things  which  he  had  done,  not 
only  of  creation  but  of  providence,  in  the  deluge,  in  the  wonderful  pre- 
servation of  the  church,  and  destruction  of  his  enemies,  in  his  many  ap- 
pearances, miracles,  and  interpositions  with  mankind,  which,  through  all 
ages,  had  been  related  to  them,  and  were  a  sensible  demonstration  of 
omniscience,  omnipotence,  invisibility,  and  immateriality,  evoi  his  eternal 
poiiier  and  godhead,  which  alone  could  cflTect  such  wonderful  things." — 
Ellis  on  Divine  Tkinc^s. 


187 

r 

the  fact ;  "  Through  faith  we  understand  that  the  worlds 
were  made  by  the  word  of  God,  so  that  things  which  are 
seen  were  not  made  of  things  which  do  appear."*  Such  as 
advocate  the  dignity  of  human  reason  may  spin  a  fine  theory, 
but  let  them  go  to  the  hut  or  the  den  of  the  sunburnt  Afri- 
can, and  ask  if  any  such  a  system  has  been  spun  by  these 
children  of  nature.  It  is  easy  to  detect  the  borrowed  plumes 
with  which  the  heathen  moralists  bedecked  their  bright  ef- 
fusions. Philosophers  and  poets  find  no  difficulty  in  follow- 
ing nature  to  nature's  God,  when  they  have  revelation  to 
lead  the  way,  but  let  them  point  out  to  us  nations  who  have 
found  the  Almighty  without  other  aids  than  their  own  re- 
sources. It  is  to  this  that  TertuUian  refers,  when  he  asks 
them,  "  Which  of  j'our  poets,  which  of  your  sophi.-;ters,  have 
not  drunk  from  the  fountains  of  the  prophets?"  and  thus,  as 
Dr.  Ellis  expresses  it,  "their  noblest  flights  took  wing  from 
the  gospel."  Many  heathen  philosophers  who  possessed  ad- 
vantages vastly  superior  to  any  of  Africa's  sons,  instead  of 
inferring  from  works  of  creation,  the  existence  of  a  Supreme 
Being,  generally  maintained  that  the  matter^  and  some  even 
that  the  form  of  the  world  itself  was  eternal,  and  others 
again  substituted  parts  of  the  visible  universe  for  God  him- 
self Even  no  less  a  person  than  the  learned  philosopher 
Dr.  Clarke,  the  defender  of  natural  religion,  admits,  that 
"  of  the  philosophers  themselves,  who  should  have  corrected 
the  errors  of  the  vulgar,  some  argued  themselves  out  of  the 
belief  of  the  very  being  of  God."  The  following  from  Presi- 
dent Edward.s's  "  Miscellaneous  Observations,"  will  be  found 
to  throw  additional  light  on  the  subject : — 

"  If  tlie  most  sagacious  of  the  philosophers  were  capable  of  doing  this, 
after  hearing  so  much  of  a  first  cause  and  a  creation,  what  would  they 
have  done,  and  what  wouhl  the  gross  of  mankind,  who  arc  inattentive 
and  ignorant,  have  thought  of  the  matter,  if  nothing  had  been  taui^ht 
concerning  God  and  the  origin  of  things;  hut  every  single  man  lelt 
solely  to  such  intimation  as  his  own  senses  and  reason  could  have  given 
him  ?  We  find  the  earlier  ages  of  the  world  did  not  trouble  theinsflves 
altout  the  question,  whether  the  being  of  God  could  be  proved  by  reason  ; 
but  either  never  inquired  info  the  matter,  or  took  their  opinions  upon 
that  head,  merely  from  tradition.  But  allowing  that  every  man  is  able  to 
demonstrate  to  himself,  that  the  world,  and  all  things  contained  therein, 
are  effects,  and  had  a  beginning,  which  1  take  to  be  a  most  absurd  sun- 
position,  and  look  upon  it  to  he  almost  impossible  for  unassisted  reason  to 
go  so  far;  yet,  if  efleets  are  to  be  ascribed  to  similar  causes,  and  a  good 
and  wise  cflTect  must  suppose  a  good  and  wise  cause;  by  the  same  way 
of  reasoning,  all  the  evil  and  irregularity  in  the  world  must  be  attributed 

♦  Ileb.  xi.  3. 


188  REASON   INSUFFICIENT. 

to  an  evil  and  unwise  cause.  So  that  either  the  first  cause  must  be  both 
good  and  evd,  wise  and  foolish,  or  else  there  must  be  two  first  causes,  an 
evil  and  irrational,  as  well  as  a  jjood  and  wise  principle.  Thus  man,  left 
to  himself,  would  be  apt  to  reason,  'If  the  cause  and  the  effects  are  simi- 
lar and  conformable,  matter  must  have  a  material  cause,  there  being  no- 
thing more  impossible  for  us  to  conceive  than  how  matter  should  be  pro- 
duced by  spirit,  or  any  thing  else  but  matter.'  The  best  reasoner  in  the 
world,  endeavouring  to  find  out  the  causes  of  things  by  the  things  them- 
selves, might  be  led  into  the  grossest  errors  and  contradictions,  and  find 
himself,  at  the  end,  in  extreme  want  of  an  insrtructor. 

"  What  instance  can  be  mentioned,  from  any  history,  of  any  one  na- 
tion under  the  sun,  that  emerged  from  atheism  or  idolatry  into  the  know- 
ledge or  adoration  of  the  one  true  God,  without  the  assistance  of  revela- 
tion ']  The  Americans,  the  Africans,  the  Tartars,  and  the  ingenious 
Chinese,  have  had  time  enough,  one  would  think,  to  find  out  the  right 
and  true  idea  of  God ;  and  yet,  after  above  five  thousand  years'  improve- 
uient,  and  the  full  exercise  of  reason,  they  have,  at  this  day,  got  no  far- 
ther in  their  progress  towards  the  true  religion,  than  to  the  worship  of 
stocks  and  stones  and  devils.  How  many  thousand  years  must  be  allowed 
to  these  nations  to  reason  themselves  into  the  true  religion  ]  What  the 
light  of  nature  and  reason  could  do  to  investigate  the  knowledge  of  God, 
is  best  seen  by  what  they  have  already  done.  We  cannot  argue  more 
convincingly  on  any  foundation  than  that  of  known  and  incontestable 
facts." 

All  this,  and  much  more  that  might  be  said  on  the  subject, 
goes  to  prove,  that  reason,  whose  province  is  not  to  invent, 
but  to  collect,  arrange,  and  deduce,  cannot  discover  first 
principles ;  and  that  unless  these  are  supplied  by  the  law 
and  the  testimony,  the  mind  must  wander  as  it  has  done  in 
the  bewildering  maze  of  uncertainty,  and  darken  instead  of 
seeing  more  clearly  the  reflected  beams  of  revealed  truth, 
which  tradition  has  conveyed  like  a  glimmering  ray  to  the 
minds  of  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  our  globe. 

It  appears  evident,  then,  from  what  has  been  MTitten,  that 
all  the  relics  of  theology  to  be  found  in  heathen  lands,  are 
only  the  remaining  fragments  which  have  been  handed 
down  by  a  vitiated  and  defective  tradition.  But  more  than 
this,  we  find  people  not  only  in  Africa,  but  in  other  parts  of 
the  world,  from  whose  intellectual  horizon  the  last  rays  of 
tradition  have  fled, — proving  what  the  Scriptures  affirm, 
that  man's  depraved  nature  is  such,  as  to  choose  darkness 
rather  than  light, — and  who  have  now  most  emphatically 
forgotten  God.  The  late  Rev.  William  Roby,  in  his  Lec- 
tures on  Revealed  Religion,  from  which  some  hints  have 
been  taken,  makes  the  following  remarks  : 

"  With  respect  to  ourselves,  it  must  be  admitted,  that  we  derived  our 
knowledge  of  the  truth  from  instruction ;  and  wherever  it  exists,  it  may 
be  traced  through  antecedent  generations,  to  the  first  parents  of  the  hu- 
man race :  and  they  could  derive  it  from  no  other  than  their  Creator. 


man's   RESPONSIBIIJTY.  189 

The  advocates  of  human  reason  and  natural  religion,  may  talk  and  write 
on  ihese  subjects,  but  thoir  systems  are  radicaUij  defective  in  various  re- 
spects. They  are  not  only  obscure  and  confused;  inadequate  and  im- 
perfect; dilTerent  and  contradictory;  but  are  all  of  thein  merely  hypo- 
theti>-al.  They  are  founded  upon  nothinjr  but  presumption,  they  cannot 
justly  preleml  to  certainty,  for  they  acknowledge  no  infallible  standard  ; 
presenting  no  evidence  of  Divine  authority,  they  have  no  claim  to  reli- 
gious obliiration.  Acknowledging  no  positive  rule,  no  decisive  testimony, 
no  superior  tribunal;  one  individual  pretending  to  reason,  exercising  his 
judtrinent  upon  them,  has  as  great  a  right  to  deny,  as  another  has  to 
affirm." 

Since  the  publication  of  my  sermon,  preached  before  the 
Directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society^  many  questions 
have  been  put  to  me  on  the  preceding  subjects,  which  has 
induced  me  to  proceed  at  greater  length  in  this  discussion. 
As  to  the  question  of  tnan's  responsibility,  according  to  these 
views,  the  same  question  may  l)e  put  with  equal  propriety, 
in  reference  to  the  idolater,  whose  "  too  superstitious"  pa- 
rents taught  him  from  earliest  infancy  to  venerate  a  block 
of  wood,  or  reptile  deified;  or  in  reference  to  the  deaf  and 
dumb,  or  many  others,  whose  senses  are  entire,  whose  minds 
were  never  cultivated  by  those  who  might  have  saved  them. 
"  Ye  knew  your  duty,  but  ye  did  it  not ;"  will  be  the  great 
condemninfj  charjje  brouofht  against  the  wilful  transgressor, 
by  tlie  Judge  of  all  the  earth.  The  issue  of  the  principles 
inculcated  by  Him,  who  shall  come  in  flaming  fire  to  take 
vengeance  on  those  that  know  not  God,  will  be,  that  "  He 
who  knew  his  Lord's  will,  and  did  it  not,  shall  be  beaten 
witli  many  stripes  ;  but  he  who  knew  not  his  Lord's  will, 
and  committed  deeds  worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be  beaten  with 
few  stripes."  The  apostle  Paul  asserts  to  the  Athenians, 
that  the  times  of  pagan  ignorance,  "  God  winked  at,  but 
now  commandeth  all  men  every  where  to  repent."  The 
same  apostle,  feeling  the  full  weight  of  the  Saviour's  com- 
rnission,  adds  to  the  fearful  list  of  iniquities,  and  flagitious 
.sin.s,  committed  by  his  own  countrymen,  the  Jews,  that  of 
"  forbidding  him  and  his  colleagues  to  preach  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, that  they  might  be  saved."  Tiius,  if  the  apostle  is  to 
be  our  example,  and  the  commands  of  the  Saviour  are  to  be 
our  guide,  our  duty  is  as  plain  as  if  written  by  a  noonday 
ray,  to  make  known  to  peri.shing  heathen,  whether  at  home 
or  abroad,  the  words  of  eternal  life. 

Before  concluding  this  general  review  of  the  prevailing 
notions  which  exist  among  the  tribes  of  Southern  Africa, 
which  throw  some  light  on  their  origin,  and  present  the 
most  formidable  barriers  to  their  evangelization  ;  a  few  rem- 


190  NATIVE    CUSTOMS. 

Hants  of  tradition  may  be  noticed.  Among  the  tribes,  and 
especially  those  nearer  to  the  coast,  some  customs  remain 
which  are  thousfht  to  have  a  reference  to  sacrifices,  offer- 
ings,  and  purifications ;  such  as  might  be  expected  to  be 
found  among  people  descending  from  the  East,  as  all  the 
Bechuana  tribes  appear  to  have  done.  In  many  instances, 
their  slaughtering  of  animals  on  occasions  of  a  tree  being 
struck  with  lightning,  or  to  procure  rain,  or  to  restore  the 
sick,  may  be  easily  traced  to  the  inventive  brain  of  wily  rain- 
makers, who  in  such  a  case,  as  at  their  public  festivals  and 
ceremonies,  never  lose  sight  of  their  stomachs.  One  will  try 
to  coax  the  sickness  out  of  a  chieftain  by  setting  him  astride 
an  ox,  with  its  feet  and  legs  tied  ;  and  then  smothering  the 
animal  by  holding  its  nose  in  a  large  bowl  of  M'ater.  A  feast 
follows,  and  the  ox  is  devoured,  sickness  and  all.  A  sorcerer 
will  pretend  he  cannot  find  out  the  guilty  person,  or  where 
the  malady  of  another  lies,  till  he  has  got  him  to  kill  an  ox, 
on  which  he  manoeuvres,  by  cutting  out  certain  parts. 
Another  doctor  will  require  a  goat,  which  he  kills  over  the 
sick  person,  allowing  the  blood  to  run  down  the  body  ;  ano- 
ther will  require  the  fat  of  the  kidney  of  a  fresh  slaughtered 
goat,  saying,  that  any  old  fat  will  not  do ;  and  thus  he  comes 
in  for  his  chop.  These  slaughterings  are  prescribed  ac- 
cording to  the  wealth  of  the  individual,  so  that  a  stout  ox 
might  be  a  cure  for  a  slight  cold  in  a  chieftain,  while  a  kid 
would  be  a  remedy  for  a  fever  among  the  poor,  among  whom 
there  was  no  chance  of  obtaining  any  thing  greater.  The 
above  ceremonies  might  with  little  difiiculty  be  construed 
into  sacrifices,  if  we  felt  anxious  to  increase  the  number  of 
traditionary  remains.  Is  it,  however,  to  be  wondered  at 
among  a  pastoral  people,  whose  choicest  viand  is  broiled  or 
boiled  meat,  and  to  whom  fat  of  any  kind  is  like  the  richest 
cordials,  that  they  should  solemnize  every  event  or  circum- 
stance with  beef?  When  a  covenant  is  made  between  par- 
ties, or  a  mutual  treaty  entered  into,  one  animal,  or  more, 
must  be  killed;  and,  like  Jacob  and  Laban  of  old,  they  eat 
together.  All  this  is  very  natural,  but  the  following  is  not 
so  agreeable  a  part  of  the  business.  When  Sibonelo,  a  chief 
of  the  Barolong,  made  a  covenant  with  Buys,  who  fled  to  ^ 
him  from  Kafir-land,  the  paunch  of  a  large  ox  was  taken, 
with  its  content.Sj  and  an  incision  being  made  in  each  side 
of  the  stomach,  the  one  forced  his  body  througli  it,  and  the 
other  followed,  intimating  by  this  ceremony  that  they  were 
henceforward  one  people.  But,  beyond  these,  there  is  some- 
thing more  like  sacrifice  among  the  Zoolus,  or  wliat  may 


NATURAL  THEOLOGY.  191 

with  more  propriety  be  viewed  as  honouring  the  manes  of 
the  dead  ;  to  which  reference  will  be  made  in  my  journey 
to  Moselekatse.  However,  it  never  appeared  to  me  that 
they  deified  them  any  more  than  the  thoughtless  in  this 
country  do,  when  they  swear  by  St.  George.  The  distin- 
guished and  heroic  deeds  of  those  who  have  signalized  them- 
selves in  aggrandizing  the  nation,  are  the  theme  of  their 
songs  like  those  of  Ossian,  the  son  of  Fingal.  Their  poets 
and  public  eulogists,  to  please  their  vain  monarch,  work 
themselves  up  to  a  state  of  enthusiasm  bordering  on  phrenzy, 
and  attribute  the  most  unbounded  powers  and  achievements 
to  personages  of  royalty  and  fame.  A  similar  custom,  doubt- 
less, gave  rise  to  the  deified  heroes  of  antiquity. 

is  it  surprising,  that  ignorant,  and  not  unfrequently,  feeble- 
minded chiefs,  should  yield  to  a  kind  of  superstitious  venera- 
tion and  regard  for  the  names  of  those  who  have  distin- 
guished themselves  by  deeds  of  valour,  until  by  frequent  con- 
templation and  eulogy  they  become  most  exaggerated  and 
extravagant,  so  as  to  foster  pride  and  vainglory,  and  awaken 
the  suspicion  of  something  more  than  human  ?  This  has 
been  the  custom  of  all  ages,  and  has  been  the  fertile  means 
of  throwing  an  impenetrable  veil  over  the  history  of  many 
characters  and  events,  when  the  absence  of  letters  prevented 
their  being  handed  down  to  posterity  in  their  naked  form. 

The  ceremonies  to  be  found  among  the  Bechuanas,  ap- 
parently of  Mosaic  or  patriarchal  origin,  are  found  upon  ex- 
amination to  be  like  shells  without  the  kernel.  Whatever 
may  have  been  their  origin,  they  have  merged  into  the  ordi- 
nary habits  of  savage  life,  and  centuries  ago  lost  the  last 
vestiges  of  the  tradition  of  their  original  design.  Happy  for 
us  that  we  have  not  been  left  to  feel  after  God  among  the 
distant  orbs  of  heaven,  or  amid  the  diversified  displays  of 
power  and  skill  in  our  own  world.  "  If  therefore  natural 
theology  is  rightly  defined  to  be,  that  which  is  attainable  by 
the  light  of  nature  only,  then  all  who  have  the  light  of  na- 
ture, and  the  use  of  reason,  are  capable  of  attaining  it  ] 
otherwise,  the  definition  will  be  false  and  imperfect.  The 
general  character  of  man  will  hold  true  that  he  is  without 
knowledge,  till  he  receives  instruction,  and  without  con- 
science, till  informed  what  the  will  of  God  is."* 

Tlie  multitude  of  ignorant  savages  to  be  found  in  the 
world  corroborates  this  statement,  and  the  means  by  which 
some  have  simk  lower  than  others  in  the  depths  of  ignorance, 

*  Ellis  on  Divine  Thincrs. 


192  SYSTEMS    OF    IDOLATRY. 

may  he  easily  traced.  Nations  have  the  sacred  mormments 
of  the  past  before  their  eyes  from  age  to  age,  have  the  me- 
mentos of  what  they  are  intended  to  represent,  and  are  con- 
stantly reminded  by  this  means  of  the  religion  of  their  an- 
cestors. 

If  we  look  over  the  map  of  the  Gentile  world,  we  find 
the  victims  of  all  the  grades  of  idolatry,  from  the  most  re- 
fined and  abstract,  to  the  most  savage  and  debased,  involved 
in  the  gross  darkness  described  in  the  preceding  pages.  Some 
nations  from  time  immemorial  have  been  under  the  domina- 
tion of  systems  so  cruel,  that  their  tenets  may  be  read  in 
characters  of  blood.  Those  of  others  are  involved  in  so 
many  labyrinth.s,  that  we  cannot  ascribe  their  contrivance  to 
even  a  host  of  the  most  inventive  minds,  or  to  the  experi- 
ence of  a  succession  of  ages.  If  we  examine  those  idola- 
trous structures,  which  crush  so  many  millions  of  our  race  in 
the  East,  wliich  have  endured  for  ages,  and  with  their  mid- 
tiplied  ramifications,  have  tried  the  faith  and  zeal  of  the 
churches  of  Cln-ist,  the  most  legitimate  conclusion  at  which 
we  can  arrive  is,  that  Satan,  the  god  of  this  world,  has  been 
most  successful  in  aiding  the  minds  of  men,  completely  to 
transform  "the  invisible  things"  first  revealed  to  man.  Al- 
though it  must  be  admitted,  that  the  Hindoos  are  highly  in- 
tellectual, and  their  system  is  indicative  of  superlative  cun- 
ning, yet,  such  is  the  delusion  of  its  votaries,  that  they  give 
themselves  up,  as  if  reason  had  reeled  from  its  pivot,  to  a 
worship  at  which  a  babe  might  shriek  with  terror,  or  smile 
at  as  a  toy. 

The  immense  structures  which  have  been  raised  to  perpe- 
tuate these  strange  commixtures  of  heaven  and  hell,  and  the 
puzzling  dogmas  of  their  shasters,  only  serve  to  retain  the 
minds  of  millions  in  the  grossest  idolatry. 

We  might  select  other  grades,  such  as  are  to  be  found  in 
the  Eastern  Archipelago,  the  South  Sea  Islands,  or  Ameri- 
ca, diverging,  according  to  their  respective  positions,  still  iar- 
ther  from  the  original  symbols  of  divine  worship.  As  we 
traverse  the  more  sequestered  sections  of  the  great  human 
family,  we  find  the  glimxmering  rays  of  tradition  still  less 
conspicuous.  Some  even,  have  before  their  eyes  the  sacred 
remains  of"  fc^rmer  ages  in  gigantic  busts,  or  broken  piles  of 
ruined  grandeur,  which  once  echoed  to  the  tones  of  idola- 
trous devotion,  where  hecatombs  were  slain,  and  which  were 
perfumed  with  the  incense  of  votive  ofierings,  while  myriads 
there  shouted  "  Great  is  Diana."'  Ask  their  descendants  or 
successors  what  these  things  mean  ;  and  they  are  silent  as 


HOW   AFRICA    WAS    COLONIZED.  193 

the  lifeless  deities  before  their  eyes.  Among  some  a  few 
shadows  seem  still  to  linger,  which  the  fancy  of  a  sorcerer 
employs  to  feed  the  mind  of  the  populace,  with  ideas  more 
gross  than  could  have  arisen  from  the  absence  of  all  tradi- 
tion. Thus  we  find  in  the  downward  scale  of  human  de- 
gradation, men,  who  as  the  apostle  says,  "  did  not  like  to  re- 
tain God  in  their  knowledge,"  turn  the  truth  into  a  lie  or  an 
idol.  These  again  become  varied  according  to  the  fancies 
of  their  votaries:  others  are  content  with  fetiches  and 
charms,  and  finally  some  from  their  nomade  life  and  isolated 
position,  have  lost  all  idea  of  the  being  of  a  God. 

If  we  find  in  some  parts  of  the  world  those,  who,  though 
reclining  under  the  very  shadow  of  edifices  of  idolatry,  are 
ignorant  of  their  origin  or  use ;  what  are  we  to  expect  from 
Africans,  whose  progenitors,  I  am  led  to  suppose,  were  not 
very  civilized  themselves  when  they  first  began  to  people 
their  vast  continent  ?  Africa,  doubtless,  was  orginally  peo- 
pled by  each  family,  or  tribe  of  its  first  settlers,  becoming 
too  numerous  for  its  locality,  some  branching  out  to  the  more 
sequestered  parts ;  and,  not  unfrequently,  communities  rent 
asunder  by  intestine  broils,  have  sought  separate  settlements 
elsewhere  ;  others,  again,  have  been  driven  to  take  refuge 
from  a  superior  force  in  the  recesses  of  the  wild  champaign ; 
and,  lastly,  little  communities  have  probably  arisen,  from  re- 
bels and  murderers,  whose  crimes  have  compelled  them  to 
seek  shelter  among  beasts  of  prey.  We  can  readily  perceive 
from  these  circumstances,  how  easy  it  was  for  a  people  dur- 
ing such  a  lapse  of  time,  descending  from  Mizraim  and 
Phut,  and  migrating  through  Egypt ;  or  descending  from 
Cush,  and  passing  from  Arabia  to  the  eastern  and  southern 
parts  of  the  African  continent,  from  the  fierce  and  restless 
tribes  of  Ishmael,  to  forget  every  vestige  of  the  creeds  of 
their  progenitors.  It  is  easy  for  men  to  degenerate  in  reU- 
gion  and  civilization,  especially  when  compelled  to  lead  a 
wandering  life,  which  is  by  no  means  favourable  to  the  cul- 
tivation of  devotion  in  the  soul ;  but  numberless  examples 
prove,  that  nothing  less  than  a  divine  lever  can  raise  them. 
In  all  ages  "  hunger  and  ignorance  have  been  the  great  bru- 
talizers  of  the  human  race  ;"  and,  if  we  look  at  the  large 
tracts  of  barren  country  inhabited  by  some  of  the  African 
tribes,  it  is  not  surprising  that  they  are  what  they  are, — ig- 
norant, filthy,  and  sometimes  very  disgusting  in  their  appear- 
ance. Degraded  as  they  are,  they  merit  not  the  epithets 
wliich  have  been  heaped  upon  them,  by  those  who  are  un- 

17 


194  PHYSICAL    VARIETY   IN   MAN. 

mindful  that  their  position  only,  has  prevented  them  from 
becoming  Hottentots  and  Bushmen  themselves. 

We  close  our  remarks  on  this  subject  by  a  quotation  from 
"  Researches  into  the  Physical  History  of  Mankind,"  by  Dr. 
Pritchard. 

"  If  these  tribes  are,  as  I  have  endeavoured  to  prove,  not  a  distinct 
class  of  nations,  but  only  the  offsets  of  stems,  differing  widely  from  them 
when  existing  under  more  favourable  circumstances;  if  the  apparent  in- 
feriority in  their  organization,  their  ugliness,  thin,  meagre,  and  deformed 
stature,  are  usually  connected  with  physical  conditions  unfavourable  to 
the  development  of  bodily  vigour, — there  will  be  no  proof  of  original  in- 
feriority in  anything  that  can  be  adduced  respecting  them.  Their  per- 
sonal deformity  and  intellectual  weakness,  if  these  attributes  really  be- 
long to  them,  must  be  regarded  as  individual  varieties.  Similar  defects 
are  produced  in  every  part  of  the  human  race  by  the  agency  of  physical 
circumstances  parallel  to  those  under  which  the  tribes  in  question  are 
known  to  exist.  If  these  were  reversed,  it  is  probable  that  a  few  genera- 
tions would  obliterate  the  effect  which  has  resulted  from  them."  Vol.  ii. 
p.  349,  &c. 

It  m.ay  also  be  here  added,  from  the  same  learned  author, 

"  That  they  have  not  indeed  contributed  towards  the  advancement  of 
human  art  or  science,  but  they  have  shown  themselves  willing  and  able 
to  profit  by  these  advantages  when  introduced  among  them.  The  civili- 
zation of  many  African  nations  is  much  superior  to  that  of  the  Aborigines 
of  Europe,  during  the  ages  which  preceded  tlie  conquests  of  the  Goths 
and  Swedes  in  the  north,  and  the  Romans  in  the  southern  parts." 


CHAPTER    XYIII. 


We  shall  now  return  to  our  labours  among  the  Bechuanas, 
which  had  already  been  carried  on  for  about  live  years. 
The  natives  had  by  this  time  become  perfectly  callous  and 
indifferent  to  all  instruction,  except  it  were  followed  by  some 
temporal  benefit  in  assisting  them  with  the  labour  of  our 
hands,  which  was  not  always  in  our  power.  The  following 
extract  from  a  letter  written  at  this  time,  depicts  our  real 
situation  : — "  I  often  feel  at  a  loss  what  to  say  relative  to  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  at  this  station.  A  sameness  marks  the 
events  of  each  returning  day.  No  conversions,  no  inquiry 
after  Godj  no  objections  raised  to  exercise  our  powers  in  de^ 


THE  WOMEN  MONOPOLIZE  THE  WATER.         195 

fence.  Indiflerence  and  stupidity  form  the  wreath  on  every 
brow — ignorance,  the  grossest  ignorance  of  Divine  things, 
forms  the  basis  of  every  action  ;  it  is  only  things  earthly,  sen- 
sual, and  devilish,  which  stimulate  to  activity  and  mirth, 
while  the  great  subject  of  the  soul's  redemption  appears  to 
them  like  an  old  and  ragged  garment,  possessing  neither 
loveliness  nor  worth.  O,  when  shall  the  day-star  arise  on 
their  hearts !  We  preach,  we  converse,  we  catechise,  we 
pray,  but  without  the  least  apparent  success.  Only  satiate 
their  mendicant  spirits  by  perpetually  giving,  and  we  are 
all  that  is  good,  but  refuse  to  meet  their  demands,  their 
praises  are  turned  to  ridicule  and  abuse." 

Our  time  was  incessantly  occupied  in  building,  and  labour- 
ing frequently  for  the  meat  that  perisheth  ;  but  our  exertions 
were  often  in  vain,  for  while  we  sowed,  the  natives  reaped. 
The  site  of  the  station  was  a  light  sandy  soil,  where  no  kind 
of  vegetables  would  grow  without  constant  irrigation.  Our 
water  ditch,  which  was  some  miles  in  length,  had  been  led 
out  of  the  Kuruman  River,  and  passed  in  its  course  through 
the  gardens  of  the  natives.  As  irrigation  was  to  them  en- 
tirely unknown,  fountains  and  streams  had  been  suffered  to 
run  to  waste,  where  crops  even  of  native  grain  (holcus  sor- 
ghum), which  supports  amazing  drought,  are  seldom  very 
abundant  from  the  general  scarcity  of  rain.  The  native 
women,  seeing  the  fertilizing  effect  of  the  water  in  our  gar- 
dens, thought  very  naturally  that  they  had  an  equal  right  to 
their  own,  and  took  the  liberty  of  cutting  open  our  water 
ditch,  and  allowing  it  on  some  occasions  to  flood  theirs. 
This  mode  of  proceeding  left  us  at  times  without  a  drop  of 
water,  even  for  culinary  purposes.  It  was  in  vain  that  we 
pleaded,  and  remonstrated  with  the  chiefs,  the  women  were 
the  masters  in  this  matter.  Mr.  Hamilton  and  I  were  daily 
compelled  to  go  alternately  three  miles  with  a  spade,  about 
three  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  hottest  time  of  the  day,  and  turn  in 
the  many  outlets  into  native  garden;?,  that  we  might  haA'^e 
a  little  moisture  to  refresh  our  burnt-up  vegetables  during 
the  night,  which  we  were  obliged  to  irrigate  when  we  ought 
to  have  rested  from  the  labours  of  the  day.  Many  night 
watches  were  spent  in  this  w^ay ;  and  after  we  had  raised 
with  great  labour  vegetables,  so  necessary  to  our  constitu- 
tions, the  natives  would  steal  them  by  day  as  well  as  by 
night,  and  after  a  year's  toil  and  care  we  scarcely  reaped 
anything  to  reward  us  for  our  labour.  The  women  would 
watch  our  return  from  turning  the  streams  into  the  water- 
course, and  would  immediately  go  and  open  the  outlets  again, 


196  SITUATION    OF    A    MISSIONARY'S   WIFE. 

thus  leaving  us  on  a  thirsty  plain  many  days  without  a  drop 
of  water,  exceptinsf  that  which  was  carried  from  a  distant 
fountain,  under  a  cloudless  sky,  when  the  thermometer  at 
noon  would  frequently  rise  to  120°  in  the  shade.  When 
we  complained  of  this,  the  women,  who  one  would  have 
thought  would  have  been  the  first  to  appreciate  the  princi- 
ples by  which  we  were  actuated,  became  exasperated,  and 
going  to  the  higher  dam,  where  the  water  was  led  out  of  the 
river,  with  their  picks  completely  destroyed  it,  allowing  the 
stream  to  flow  in  its  ancient  bed.  By  this  means  the  sup- 
ply of  water  we  formerly  had  was  reduced  to  one-half,  and 
that  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  those  who  loved  us  only  when 
we  could  supply  them  with  tobacco,  repair  their  tools,  or  ad- 
minister medicine  to  the  afflicted.  But  all  this,  and  much 
more,  failed  to  soften  their  feelings  towards  us.  Mrs.  Mof- 
fat, from  these  circumstances,  and  the  want  of  female  assist- 
ance, has  been  compelled  to  send  tlie  heavier  part  of  our 
linen  a  hundred  miles  to  be  washed. 

Our  situation  might  be  better  conceived  than  described : 
not  one  believed  our  report  among  the  thousands  by  whom 
we  were  surrounded.  Native  aid,  especially  to  the  wife  of 
the  missionary,  though  not  to  be  dispensed  with,  was  a 
source  of  anxiety,  and  an  addition  to  our  cares ;  for  any  in- 
dividual might  not  only  threaten,  but  carry  a  rash  purpose 
into  eflect.  For  instance,  Mrs.  M.,  with  a  babe  in  her  arms, 
begged,  and  that  very  humbly,  of  a  woman,  just  to  be  kind 
enough  to  move  out  of  a  temporary  kitchen,  that  she  might 
shut  it  as  u.sual  before  going  into  the  place  of  worship.  The 
woman,  a  plebeian,  seized  a  piece  of  wood  to  hurl  it  at  Mrs. 
M.'s  head,  who  of  course  immediately  escaped  to  the  house 
of  God,  leaving  her  the  undisputed  occupant  of  the  kitchen, 
any  of  the  contents  of  which  .she  would  not  hesitate  to  ap- 
propriate to  her  own  use.  It  required  no  little  fortitude  and 
forbearance  in  the  wife  of  the  missionary,  who  had  to  keep 
at  home,  and  attend  to  the  cares  and  duties  of  a  family,  to 
have  the  house  crowded  with  those  who  would  seize  a  stone, 
and  dare  interference  on  her  part.  As  many  men  and  wo- 
men as  plea.sed  might  come  into  our  hut,  leaving  us  not 
room  even  to  turn  ourselves,  and  making  every  thing  they 
touched  the  colour  of  their  own  greasy  red  attire  ;  while 
some  were  talking,  others  woidd  be  .sleeping,  and  some  pil- 
fering whatever  they  could  laytheir  hands  upon.  This  would 
keep  the  housewife  a  perfect  prisoner  in  a  sufl'ocating  atmos- 
phere, almost  intolerable  ;  and  when  they  departed  they  left 
ten  times  more   than  their  number  behind — company  still 


CHARACTER  OF  OUR  CONGREGATIONS.  197 

more  ofFensive.  As  it  was  not  pleasant  to  take  our  meals 
amongst  such  filth,  our  dinner  was  often  deferrec^^for  hours, 
hoping  for  their  departure  ;  but,  after  all,  it  had  to  be  eaten 
when  the  natives  were  despatching  their  game  at  our  feet. 
Our  attendance  at  public  worship  would  vary  from  one  to 
forty;  and  these  very  often  manifesting  the  greatest  indeco- 
rum. Some  would  be  snoring ;  others  laughing  ;  some 
working  ;  and  others,  who  might  even  be  styled  the  noblesse, 
would  be  employed  in  removing  from  their  ornaments  cer- 
tain nameless  insects,  letting  them  run  about  the  forms, 
while  sitting  by  the  missionary's  wife.  Never  having  been 
accustomed  to  chairs  or  stools,  some,  by  way  of  imitation, 
would  sit  with  their  feet  on  the  benches,  having  their  knees, 
according  to  their  usual  mode  of  sitting,  drawn  up  to  their 
chins.  In  this  position  one  would  fall  asleep  and  tumble 
over,  to  the  great  merriment  of  his  fellows.  On  some  occa- 
sions an  opportunity  would  be  watched  to  rob,  when  the 
missionary  was  engaged  in  public  service.  The  thief  would 
just  put  his  head  within  the  door,  discover  who  was  in  the 
pulpit,  and,  knowing  he  could  not  leave  his  rostrum  before  a 
certain  time  had  elapsed,  would  go  to  his  house  and  take 
what  he  could  lay  his  hands  upon.  When  Mr.  Hamilton 
and  I  met  in  the  evening,  w^e  almost  always  had  some  tale 
to  tell  about  our  losses,  but  never  about  our  gains,  except 
those  of  resignation  and  peace,  the  results  of  patience,  and 
faith  in  the  unchangable  purposes  of  Jehovah.  "  I  will  be 
exalted  among  the  heathen,"  cheered  our  often  baffled  and 
drooping  spirit.s. 

Some  nights,  or  rather  mornings,  we  had  to  record  thefts 
committed  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours  in  our  houses, 
our  smith-shop,  our  garden,  and  among  our  cattle  in  the 
field.  These  they  have  more  than  once  driven  into  a  bog 
or  mire,  at  a  late  hour  informing  us  of  the  accident,  as  they 
termed  it  ;  and,  as  it  was  then  too  dark  to  render  assistance, 
one  or  more  Avould  fall  a  prey  to  the  hyenas  or  hungry  na- 
tives. One  night  they  entered  our  cattle-fold,  killed  one  of 
our  best  draught  oxen,  and  carried  the  w^hole  away  except 
one  shoulder.  We  were  compelled  to  use  much  meat,  from 
the  great  scarcity  of  grain  and  vegetables ;  our  sheep  we 
had  to  purchase  at  a  distance  ;  and  very  thankful  might  we 
be,  if,  out  of  twenty,  we  secured  the  largest  half  for  our- 
selves. They  would  break  their  legs,  cut  off  their  tails,  and 
more  frequently  carry  off  the  whole  carcase.  Tools,  such 
as  saws,  axes,  and  adzes,  were  losses  severely  felt,  as  we 
could  not  at  that  time  replace  them,  when  there  was  no  in- 

17* 


198  THE    BEWITCHED    POT. 

tercourse  whatever  with  the  Colony.  Some  of  our  tools  and 
utensils  wjiich  they  stole,  on  finding  the  nietal  not  what  they 
expected,  they  would  bring  back,  beaten  into  all  shapes,  and 
ofFer  thein  in  exchange  for  some  other  article.  Knives  were 
always  eagerly  coveted,  our  metal  spoons  they  melted  ;  and 
when  we  were  supplied  with  plated  iron  ones,  which  they 
found  not  so  pliable,  they  supposed  them  bewitched.  Very 
often,  when  employed  working  at  a  distance  from  the  house, 
if  there  was  no  one  in  whom  he  could  confide,  the  mis- 
sionary would  be  compelled  to  carry  them  all  to  the  place 
where  he  went  to  seek  a  draught  of  water,  well  knowing 
that  if  they  were  left  they  would  take  wings  before  he  could 
return. 

The  following  ludicrous  circumstance  once  happened, 
and  was  related  to  the  writer  by  a  native  in  graphic  style. 
Two  men  had  succeeded  in  stealing  an  iron  pot.  Having 
just  taken  it  from  the  fire,  it  was  rather  warm  for  handing 
conveniently  over  a  fence,  and  by  doing  so,  it  fell  on  a  stone 
and  was  cracked.  "  It  is  iron,"  said  they,  and  ofT  they  went 
with  their  booty,  resolving  to  make  the  best  of  it,  that  is,  if 
it  would  not  serve  for  cooking,  they  would  transform  it  into 
knives  and  spears.  After  some  tmie  had  elapsed,  and  the 
hue  and  cry  about  the  missing  pot  had  nearly  died  away,  it 
was  brought  forth  to  a  native  smith,  who  had  laid  in  a  stock 
of  charcoal  for  the  occasion.  The  pot  was  farther  broken  to 
make  it  more  convenient  to  lay  hold  of  with  the  tongs, 
which  are  generally  of  the  bark  of  a  tree.  The  native  Vul- 
can, unacquainted  with  cast-iron,  having  with  his  small  bel- 
lows, one  in  each  hand,  produced  a  good  heat,  drew  a  piece 
from  the  fire.  To  his  utter  amazement  it  flew  into  pieces  at 
the  first  stroke  of  his  little  hammer.  Another  and  another 
piece  was  brought  under  the  action  of  the  fire,  and  then  un- 
der the  hammer  with  no  better  success.  Both  the  thief,  and 
the  smith,  gazing  with  eyes  and  mouth  dilated  on  the  frag- 
ments of  iron  scattered  round  the  stone  anvil,  declared  their 
belief  that  the  pot  was  bewitched,  and  concluded  pot-steal- 
ing to  be  a  bad  speculation. 

Mr.  Hamilton,  whose  house  was  frequently  left  alone, 
fared  worse  tban  when  there  was  any  one  to  keep  an  eye 
on  visitors.  He  has  more  than  once  returned  from  preach- 
ing, and  found  a  .stone  left  in  the  pot  instead  of  the  meat  on 
which  he  had  hoped  to  dine.  Indeed  there  would  be  no 
end  to  describing  all  the  losses,  mortificatioiLS,  and  disap- 
pointments we  daily  met  with  in  the  course  of  our  duty. 
We  can  never  look  back  on  those  years  of  sorrow  without 


CONSOLATIONS.  199 

lifting  up  our  hearts  to  God  in  grateful  adoration  for  the 
grace  afforded,  while  we  hung  our  harps  upon  the  willows, 
and  after  years  of  labour  felt  as  if  it  would  never  fall  to  our 
lot  to  sing  the  song  of  triumph  in  a  strange  land.  Often 
have  we  met  together  to  read  the  word  of  God,  that  never- 
failing  source  of  comfort,  and,  contented  with  being  only  the 
pioneers,  have  poured  out  our  souls  in  prayer  for  the  perish- 
ing heathen  around.  There  were  seasons  when,  by  faith, 
in  the  sure  word  of  promise,  we  could  look  beyond  "  the 
gloomy  hills  of  darkness,"  and  rejoice  in  the  full  assurance 
of  hope  in  the  latter-day  glory.  These  were  a  few  of  our 
difficulties,  while  others,  more  perplexing  still,  arose  from 
the  conduct  of  individuals  who  had  accompanied  the  mis- 
sionaries or  assistants.  These,  though  selected  from  other 
stations  as  professors  of  religion,  when  they  came  to  associate 
M'ith  the  natives,  exhibited  much  of  that  weakness  which 
may  be  expected  from  people  just  emerging  from  the  gross- 
ness  of  heathenism.  When  the  needful  discipline  was 
exercised  on  some,  others  were  offended,  and  thus  caused 
much  pain  of  mind,  by  an  exhibition  of  improper  tempers 
towards  those  whose  only  object  was  to  save  them  from 
ruin.  The  Bechuanas  could  not  fail  of  observing  these 
inconsistencies,  and  thus  they  became  stumbling-blocks  to 
the  heathen. 

The  acquisition  of  the  language  was  an  object  of  the  first 
importance.  This  was  to  be  done  under  circumstances  the 
most  unfavourable,  as  there  was  neither  time  nor  place  of 
retirement  for  study,  and  no  interpreter  worthy  the  name. 
A  few,  and  but  a  lew  words  were  collected,  and  these  very 
incorrect,  from  the  ignorance  of  the  interpreter  of  the  gram- 
matical structure  either  of  his  own  or  the  Dutch  language, 
through  which  medium  all  our  intercourse  was  carried  on. 
It  was  something  like  groping  in  the  dark,  and  many  were 
the  ludicrous  blunders  I  made.  The  more  waggish  of  those 
from  whom  I  occasionally  obtained  sentences  and  forms  of 
speech,  would  ric^hly  enjoy  the  fun,  if  they  succeeded  iii 
leading  me  into  egregrious  mistakes  and  shameful  blunders ; 
but  tliough  I  had  to  pay  dear  for  my  credulit)%  I  learned 
something.  After  being  compelled  to  attend  to  every 
species  of  manual,  and  frequently  menial  labour  for  the 
whole  day,  working  under  a  burning  sun,  standing  on  the 
saw-pit,  labouring  at  the  anvil,  treading  clay,  or  employed 
in  cleaning  a  water  ditch,  it  may  be  imagined  that  I  was  in 
no  very  fit  condition  for  study,  even  when  a  quiet  hour  could 
be  obtained  in  the  evening  for  that  purpose.     And  this  was 


200  ERROR   INEVITABLE. 

not  all ;  an  efficient  interpreter  could  not  be  found  in  the 
country ;  and  when  every  thing  was  ready  for  inquiry,  the 
native  mind,  unaccustomed  to  analyze  abstract  terms,  would, 
after  a  few  questions,  be  completely  bewildered.  1  can 
fully  enter  into  the  feelings  of  Dr.  Burchell,  in  the  following 
extract  from  his  travels,  bearing  directly  on  the  subject: — 

"  Those  whose  minds  have  been  expanded  by  a  European  education, 
cannot  readily  conceive  the  shtpidity,  as  they  would  call  it,  of  savages,  in 
every  thing  beyond  the  most  simple  ideas  and  the  most  uncompounded 
notions,  either  in  moral  or  in  physical  knowledge.  But,  the  fact  is,  their 
life  embraces  so  few  incidents,  their  occupations,  their  thoughts,  and  their 
cares  are  confined  to  so  few  objects,  that  their  ideas  must  necessarily  be 
equally  few,  and  equally  confined.  I  have  sometimes  been  obliged  to 
allow  Mochunka  to  leave  off  the  task  when  he  had  scarcely  given  me  a 
dozen  of  words ;  as  it  was  evident  that  exertion  of  mind,  or  continued 
employment  of  the  faculty  of  thinking,  soon  wore  out  his  powers  of  re- 
flection, and  rendered  him  really  incapable  of  paying  any  longer  atten- 
tion to  the  subject.  On  such  occasions,  he  would  betray  by  his  listless- 
ness  and  the  vacancy  of  his  countenance,  that  abstract  questions  of  the 
plainest  kind  soon  exhausted  all  mental  strength,  and  reduced  him  to  the 
state  of  a  child  whose  reason  was  dormant.  He  would  then  complain 
that  his  head  began  to  ache ;  and  as  it  was  useless  to  persist  inintd  Mi' 
7iervd,  he  always  received  immediately  his  dismissal  for  that  day," 

The  reducing  of  an  oral  language  to  writing  being  so  im- 
portant to  the  missionary,  he  ought  to  have  every  encourage- 
ment afforded  him,  and  be  supplied  with  the  means  neces- 
sary for  the  attainment  of  such  an  object.  The  Bechuanas, 
though  they  had  never  known  the  worth  of  time,  could,  like 
men  in  general,  set  a  high  value  on  service  done  for  a  stran- 
ger. They  supposed  that,  as  we  were  supported  by  re- 
sources, not  drawn  from  the  country,  we  had  only  to  call  for 
riches,  and  they  would  come  ;  while  at  the  same  time  we 
had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  making  both  ends  meet,  which 
indeed  we  could  not  have  accomplished  without  personal 
hard  labour. 

A  missionary  who  commences  giving  direct  instruction  to 
the  natives,  though  far  from  being  competent  in  the  lan- 
guage, is  proceeding  on  safer  ground  than  if  he  were  employ- 
ing an  interpreter,  who  is  not  proficient  in  both  languages, 
and  who  has  not  a  tolerable  understanding:  of  the  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel.  Trusting  to  an  ignorant  and  unqualified  in- 
terpreter, is  attended  with  consequences  not  only  ludicrous, 
but  dangerous  to  the  very  objects  which  lie  nearest  the  mis- 
sionary's heart.  Tlie  natives  M-ill  smile,  and  make  allow- 
ances for  the  blundering  speeches  of  the  missionary  ;  and 
though  some  may  convey  the  very  opposite  meaning  to  that 
wliich  he   intends,  they  know  from   his  general  character 


SERIOUS    BLUNDER,  201 

what  it  should  be,  and  ascribe  the  blunder  to  his  ignorance 
of  the  language.  They  are  not  so  charitable  towards  his 
interpreter,  whose  interest  it  is  to  make  them  believe  that  he 
is  master  of  a  language  of  which  they  know  nothing,  and 
consequently  they  take  for  granted,  that  all  is  correct  which 
comes  through  his  lips.  I  have  been  very  much  troubled  in 
my  mind  on  hearing  that  the  most  erroneous  renderings  have 
been  given  to  what  I  had  said.  Since  acquiring  the  lan- 
guage, I  have  had  opportunities  of  discovering  this  with  my 
own  ears,  by  hearing  sentences  translated,  which  at  one  mo- 
ment were  calculated  to  excite  no  more  than  a  smile,  while 
others  would  produce  intense  agony  of  mind  from  their  bor- 
dering on  blasphemy,  and  which  the  interpreter  gave  as  the 
word  of  God.  The  interpreter  w4io  cannot  himself  read, 
and  who  understands  very  partially  what  he  is  translating, 
if  he  is  not  a  very  humble  one,  will,  as  I  have  very  often 
heard,  introduce  a  cart-wheel,  or  an  ox-tail  into  some  pas- 
sage of  simple  sublimity  of  Holy  Writ,  just  because  some 
word  in  the  sentence  had  a  similar  sound.  Thus  the  pas- 
sage, "  The  salvation  of  the  soul  is  a  great  and  important 
subject ;"  The  salvation  of  the  soul  is  a  very  great  sack^ 
must  sound  strange  indeed.  Oh,  it  is  an  untold  blessing  for 
one  in  such  circumstances  to  have  an  humble  and  devout 
interpreter,  who  feels  the  very  words  glow  as  they  pass 
through  his  lips.  I  have  felt  in  Namaqua-land,  with  such 
an  one,  as  if  a  holy  unction  from  above  were  resting  both  on 
myself  and  interpreter.  Alas!  for  us  among  the  Bechua- 
nas,  ours  was  not  of  this  description  ;  he  had  acctTlnpanied 
Mr-  Campbell  to  Kurrechane,  brought  home  a  concubine 
with  him,  and  apostatizing,  became  an  enemy  to  the  mission. 
This  was  one  of  the  trials  to  which  allusion  has  been 
made,  and  was  a  severe  blow ;  while  the  heathen  laughed 
at  our  puny  efforts  to  reform  the  nation.  They  had  boasted 
that  our  Jesus  and  Jehovah,  of  whom  we  liked  to  talk  so 
frequently,  should  never  get  one  convert  to  bow  the  knee  to 
their  sway  ;  and  now  these  boasts  were  reiterated  Avith  epi- 
thets of  contumely  and  scorn.  Sometimes  a  cheering  ray 
would  pierce  through  the  thick  gloom  which  hung  over  our 
prospects,  in  the  form  of  a  kind  word  or  action  on  the  part 
of  a  chief  or  person  of  influence,  though  that  was  generally 
either  the  precursor  of  a  favour  to  be  asked,  or  a  return  for 
one  granted.  We  needed  the  graces  of  faith  and  patience, 
and  but  for  almighty  support,  we  must  have  fainted  and 
fallen  in  the  struggle.  It  was  then  that  the  prayers  of  the 
churches  at  home  were   answered,  though  not  in  the  way 


202  ITINERATING. 

human  minds  anticipated.  It  was  then  that  the  Divine 
promises  were  perused  with  renewed  feelings  of  ardour  and 
consolation ;  and  it  was  then  that  we  were  taught  experi- 
mentally, "  that  it  was  not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by 
my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord."  It  did  indeed  produce  a  melan- 
choly feeling,  when  we  looked  around  us,  on  so  many  im- 
mortal beings,  not  one  of  whom  loved  us,  none  sympathized, 
none  considered  the  day  of  their  merciful  visitation ;  but 
with  their  lives,  as  with  their  lips,  were  saying  to  the  Al- 
mighty, "  Depart  from  us,  Ave  desire  not  the  knowledge  of 
thy  ways." 

With  such  interpreters  and  aids  as  we  could  obtain,  we 
ceased  not  to  lift  up  our  voices  to  proclaim  the  Gospel  jubi- 
lee. The  commission  of  him,  who  tasted  death  for  every 
man,  dwelt  on  our  tongues;  and  though  the  declaration  of 
Omnipotence,  "  My  word  shall  not  return  unto  me  void,"  as- 
sured us  that  our  labours  were  not  in  vain,  still  we  felt  it  an 
arduous  employ.  Every  means  was  resorted  to,  and  every 
season  improved,  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  native  mind, 
and  every  thing  hopeful,  even  in  the  countenance  of  an  indi- 
vidual, was  eagerly  treasured  up  in  our  hearts  ;  but  to  our 
grief,  we  found  every  indication  like  the  morning  cloud  and 
the  early  dew.  We  itinerated  by  turn  every  Sabbath,  to  the 
neighbouring  villages :  and  very  frequently  after  four  and 
five  miles'  walk,  could  not  get  an  individual  to  listen  to  the 
message  of  Divine  mercy.  Without  the  influence  of  the 
chief  men  of  the  hamlet,  it  was  .scarcely  possible  at  any 
time  to  collect  a  few  individuals  together;  and  if  this  was 
accomplished,  they  thought  they  were  entitled  to  a  reward 
for  the  exercise  of  their  authority  in  promoting  the  object  of 
our  wishes ;  and  not  unfrequently,  when  tliey  commanded, 
or  rather,  pretended  to  command  the  attendance  of  their 
people,  they  laughed  at  the  mandate,  which  they  well  knew 
was  only  tiiat  of  the  lips.  Finding  that  a  little  bit  of  tobacco 
had  some  influence  in  increasing  our  cono:reo:ations  at  these 
out-places,  as  well  as  f)r  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  draught 
of  water,  we  would  take  a  small  portion  of  our  little  stock  ; 
but  when  we  happened  to  forget  it,  we  were  frequently  told 
to  go  back  first,  and  bring  the  tobacco.  We  were  wont  to 
start  very  early,  having  to  go  on  foot,  in  order  to  return  to 
the  station  before  the  sun  got  so  hot  as  to  cause  walking  on 
the  sand,  especially  in  thin  shoes,  to  be  attended  with  con- 
siderable pain.  I  have  known  the  chief  of  a  village  defer 
the  collecting  of  his  people  together  till  the  sun  had  become 
very  hot,  knowing  our  extreme  reluctance  to  return  without 


NATIVE    VIEWS   OF   THE    MISSIONATY    CHARACTER.  203 

having  had  an  opportunity  of  saying  something  to  them 
about  their  eternal  interests;  and  when  they  found  this  delay 
compelled  the  missionary  in  his  course  homeward  over  a 
sandy  plain,  to  step  from  one  tuft  of  grass  to  another,  and 
stop  frequently  under  the  shadow  of  a  bush  till  his  glowing 
feet  should  cool ;  it  afforded  them  no  little  satisfaction  and 
enjoyment. 

Many  of  them  thought  us  a  strange  race  of  beings ;  while 
some  would  insinuate  that  we  had  some  other  object  in  view, 
of  a  very  different  character  than  to  make  them  believe  in 
fables;  and  what  was,  if  possible,  still  more  consolatory,  they 
would  tell  us,  that  we  had  come  to  their  country  to  get  a 
living.  Some  brighter  minds,  however,  inferred  firom  what 
they  saw  that  all  our  resources  being  foreign,  and  some  of 
them  employed  to  administer  to  the  wants  of  the  natives, 
besides  the  taxes  levied  by  thieves,  that  these  surmises  w^ere 
not  exactly  the  whole  of  the  truth,  but  that  we  must  be  run- 
aways from  our  native  land,  preferring  a  suffering  life  in. 
their  country  to  returning  to  our  own,  to  be  punished  for 
some  crime  of  which  we  had  been  guilty.  "  What  is  the 
reason  you  do  not  return  to  your  own  land  ?"  asked  a  chief, 
when  I  begged  him  to  endeavour  to  recover  my  knife,  which 
had  been  stolen  from  my  jacket  that  I  had  laid  down  while 
preaching.  "  If  your  land  was  a  good  one,  or  if  you  were 
not  afraid  of  returning,  you  would  not  be  so  content  to  live 
as  you  do,  while  people  devour  you,"   said  another. 

Our  itinerating  journeys  to  the  Batlaros,  who  lived  at  Pa- 
tane,  about  twenty  miles  to  the  westward,  were  of  a  more 
agreeable  nature,  if  a  comparison  may  be  drawn.  The 
thing  was  more  novel  to  that  people,  and  a  congregation 
might  be  convened,  thouirh  their  wildness  and  ignorance 
may  in  some  measure  be  conceived  of  by  the  following  ex- 
tract from  one  of  my  journals  : — "  Arrived  at  Tlogo's  village. 
Tlogo  the  chief,  and  a  number  of  people,  having  congregated 
at  the  wagon,  I  embraced  the  opportunity  of  speaking  to 
them  a  little  about  the  things  of  God.  I  had  scarcely  be- 
gun, when  the  greater  part  of  them  took  to  their  heels.  At 
the  conclusion,  something  was  said  in  reference  to  what  had 
taken  place,  when  one  who  could  speak  a  few  words  of  the 
Dutch  language  broke  out  in  the  following  harangue :  '  The 
Bechuanas  are  very  hard-headed,  and  will  not  hear,  though 
God  has  given  them  so  many  things.  He  has  given  them 
oxen,  goats,  and  women,' — ranking  the  latter  among  the  in- 
ferior animals. 

I'he  missionary  requires  incessant  patience  and  perseve- 


204  THE  MORAVIANS  IN  GREENLAND. 

ranee,  for  often  when  he  ha.?,  by  many  kind  speeches  and  a 
present  to  the  chief,  collected  an  audience,  he  finds  his  first 
words  are  only  a  signal  for  instant  dismissal.  I  have  found 
some  chiefs,  who,  entirely  ignorant  of  the  motives  of  the  mis- 
sionary, have  professed  great  anxiety  to  have  one,  and  would 
bring  a  young  daughter  into  the  presence  of  Mrs.  Mofl^at,  as- 
suring me  that  he  would  give  her  to  be  my  wife,  were  I  to 
take  up  my  abode  with  him.  This,  no  doubt,  was  very  gene- 
rous ;  and  he,  poor  man,  in  his  ignorance,  must  have  thought 
me  not  only  saucy  but  silly,  not  to  embrace  so  fascinating  an 
ofl^er.  These  visits,  although  without  any  apparent  success, 
were  not  lost  either  upon  the  natives  or  ourselves ;  for  while 
they  gradually  familiarized  our  character  and  objects  to  the 
people,  they  taught  us  lessons  very  important  in  preparing 
us  for  trials  greater  than  these. 

In  imparting  instruction,  we  were  obliged  to  keep  to  first 
principles.  Among  such  a  people  it  was  necessaiy  to  assert 
who  God  Avas,  as  well  as  what  He  had  done  for  a  sinful 
world.  It  is  recorded  of  the  Moravian  missionaries  in  Green- 
land, that  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  directing  the  atten- 
tion of  their  hearers  to  the  existence  and  attributes  of  God, 
the  fall  of  man,  and  the  demands  of  the  Divine  law;  hoping 
thus,  by  degrees,  to  prepare  the  minds  of  the  heathen  for 
the  more  mysterious  and  sublime  truths  of  the  Gospel.  As, 
however,  this  plan  had  been  tried  for  five  years  with  no  suc- 
cess, they  now  resolved,  in  the  fir.<:t  instance,  simply  to  preach 
Christ  crucified  to  the  benighted  Greenlanders  ;  and  not  only 
were  their  own  souls  set  at  peculiar  liberty  in  speaking,  hut 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  evidently  accompanied  the 
word  spoken  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  the  hearers ; 
so  that  they  trembled  at  their  danger  as  sinners,  and  rejoiced 
with  joy  unspeakable  in  the  appointment  and  exhibition  of 
Christ  as  a  Saviour  from  the  wrath  to  come.  This  fact  has 
been  reiterated ;  and,  by  the  deductions  drawn  from  it,  may, 
we  believe,  have  been  led  to  suppose  that  the  subsetjuent 
labours  of  other  missionaries,  for  sixteen  years,  in  the  South 
Sea  Islands,  without  fruit,  must  have  arisen  from  their  not 
"  thus  directing  their  principal  attention  to  the  only  subject 
which  was  likely  to  be  permanently  profitable  to  the  heathen." 
This,  however,  we  conceive  to  be  a  very  erroneous  conclu- 
sion; for  if  we  examine  the  journals  and  experience  of  those 
who  laboured  a  much  longer  period  than  the  Greenland 
missionaries,  with  no  better  success,  we  shall  find  that  the 
burden  of  their  report  was,  "  God  so  loved  the  Avorld,"  etc. 
If  these  missionaries,  whom  we  can  never  cease  to  admire, 


Paul's  preaching  at  athens.  205 

and  whose  extraordinary  love  to  the  Saviour  influenced  them 
to  brave  the  tempests  of  an  arctic  sky,  had  confined  their 
preaching  exclusively  to  the  attributes  of  God,  which,  as 
ministers  of  the  New  Testament,  we  can  scarcely  think  they 
did,  we  should  not  wonder  at  their  little  success.  It  ought 
also  to  be  recollected,  that,  by  their  first  efforts  to  enlighten 
the  minds  of  the  natives  respecting  the  character  of  the  Di- 
vine Being,  they  were  preparing  the  way  for  dilating  more 
fully  on  the  theme  of  man's  redemption. 

The  course  pursued  by  the  apostles  among  the  Jews,  who 
were  acquainted  with  the  nature  and  operations  of  the  true 
God,  was  to  proclaim  the  reign  of  the  Messiah,  and  even  to 
baptize  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  only  ;  but  Paul,  whose 
all  absorbing  theme  was  Christ,  and  Him  crucified,  deter- 
mined, while  standing  on  Mar's  Hill,  among  the  literati  of 
Athens,  to  discourse  first  on  the  character  and  attributes  of 
the  true  God,  of  whom  they  Avere  ignorant.  His  sermon,  or 
rather  the  exordium,  is  entirely  restricted  to  the  establish- 
ment of  this  most  important  point.  This  was  his  mode  of 
convincing  both  Stoics  and  Epicureans  of  the  fallacy  of  their 
tenets;  and  by  thus  introducing  the  character  and  govern- 
ment of  what  was  to  them  an  "  Unknown  God,"  he  pre- 
pared them  for  the  attraction  of  the  Cross,  which  was  to  the 
Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness.  This 
inimitable  discourse  was  addressed  to  idolaters,  and  admira- 
bly calculated  to  overthrow  the  notions  of  his  opponents  ;  for 
while  the  Epicureans  acknowledged  no  gods,  except  in  name, 
they  absolutely  denied  that  they  exercised  any  government 
over  the  world  or  its  inhabitants;  and  while  the  Stoics  did 
not  deny  the  existence  of  the  gods,  they  held  that  all  human 
affairs  were  governed  by  fate. 

The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  has  very  properly  been  desig- 
nated a  "  Missionary  Book;"  and  he  who  takes  the  first  pro- 
pagators of  Christianity  as  his  models,  cannot  err.  The 
missionary  having  this  guide,  and  relying  on  the  direction 
and  promises  of  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  will  find  it 
necessary  to  adapt  his  discourses  to  the  circumstances  of  the 
people  among  whom  he  labours.  In  Greenland  he  will,  in 
the  first  instance,  endeavour  to  undermine  the  influence  of 
the  Angekoks ;  in  Western  Africa,  that  of  the  Greegrees ; 
and,  in  Southern  Africa,  the  assumed  power  of  Rain-makers  ; 
by  declaring  that  "  God  made  the  world  and  all  things  there- 
in, and  giveth  to  all  life,  breath,  and  all  things."  This  should 
be  done  more  especially  among  a  people  who  have  no  idol- 

18 


206  A   HOTTENTOT   WOMAN. 

atry  whatever  ;  while  the  exhibition  of  Him  who  is  the  de- 
sire of  all  nations  ought  on  no  occasion  to  be  withheld. 

The  question  may  be  raised,  What  would  Paul  have  done 
among  the  Hindoos,  the  Esquimaux,  or  the  atheistical  na- 
tions of  the  interior  of  Africa  ?  We  presume  that  he  who 
found  it  necessary,  yea,  of  incalculable  importance  to  be- 
come all  things  to  all  men,  would  leave  the  mode  of  argu- 
ment requisite  to  convince  the  Jew,  and  preach  to  them  as 
he  did  to  the  people  of  Lystra,  that  they  should  turn  from 
their  vanities  unto  the  living  God,  who  made  heaven  and 
earth  and  seas,  and  all  things  that  are  therein  ;  and  turn  the 
attention  from  soothsayers,  sorcerer,  charms  and  amulets,  to 
that  divine  and  gracious  Being  who  gives  rain  from  heaven, 
and  fruitful  seasons,  filling  our  hearts  with  food  and  gladness. 
All  this  the  missionary  finds  it  necessary  to  do,  to  clear  away 
a  mass  of  rubbish  which  paralyzes  the  mental  powers  of  the 
natives ;  while  he  knows  full  well,  that  if  he  wishes  to  save 
souls,  he  must  preach  Christ,  the  power  of  God  and  the  wis- 
dom of  God,  without  which  all  his  efibrts  to  save  souls  must 
be  like  the  sounding  brass  and  tinkling  cymbal. 

We  found  it  necessary  to  make  every  subject  as  striknig 
and  interesting  as  possible  to  gain  attention,  for  our  greatest 
complaint  was  indifference,  a  cold  assent  being  the  most  we 
could  obtain  from  even  the  most  intelligent  of  them.  We 
held  one  service  in  Dutch  on  the  Sabbath  evenings  for  the 
edification  of  our  own  souls  as  well  as  those  of  two  or  three 
Hottentots  and  their  families.  This  was  the  only  service  in 
which  we  felt  any  thing  like  real  enjoyment,  the  others  af- 
fording only  that  which  arose  from  the  sense  of  discharging 
a  duty. 

About  this  time  a  circumstance  occurred  which  operated 
as  a  balm  to  some  of  our  sorrows.  We  had  been  exceed- 
ingly tried  by  the  conduct  of  Fransinna,  a  Hottentot  woman, 
from  Bethelsdorp.  She  had  taken  offence  at  our  having  sent 
away  a  young  Hottentot  in  our  service  on  account  of  immoral 
conduct,  which  disgraced  the  mission  in  the  eyes  of  the  Be- 
chuanas.  She  took  this  opportunity  of  instigating  the  king 
and  his  people  against  us,  by  insinuating  that  we  had  ascrib- 
ed it  to  Mothibi,  who,  of  course,  was  hurt  at  being  charged 
with  that  which  was  our  own  act.  Wliile  her  unchristian 
and  violent  spirit  was  threatening  the  overthrow  of  the  mis- 
sion, she  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  remarkable  distemper, 
which  prostrated  her  in  a  short  time  on  a  bed  of  sickness. 
She  was  visited  and  faithfully  dealt  with. 

Her  conduct  in  endeavouring  to  frustrate  our  efforts  among 


HER  ILLNESS  AND  DEATH.  207 

the  Bechuanas,  was  set  before  her  in  its  true  colours.  She 
was  soon  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  guHt  of  such  hostility, 
and  of  the  reasonableness  of  the  step  on  our  part  which  had 
excited  her  displeasure.  She  frankly  confessed  her  crimes, 
was  cut  to  the  heart  for  the  injury  she  had  done  to  the 
cause,  and  earnestly  implored  forgiveness,  when  she  was 
directed  afresh  to  the  fountain  opened  for  sin.  She  remained 
several  months  in  severe  affliction,  and  about  a  month 
before  her  death,  one  of  her  legs  from  the  knee  was  con- 
signed to  the  dust,  the  rest  of  her  limbs  meanwhile  gradually 
decaying ;  but  while  Avorms  were  literally  destroying  her 
body,  she  knew  in  whom  she  had  believed.  From  the 
commencement  of  her  affliction,  the  Lord  had  made  her  to 
feel  that  he  had  a  controversy  with  her,  and  thrice  happy 
was  it  for  her  that  she  heard  the  rod  and  Him  who  had 
appointed  it.  She  acknowledged  that  for  some  time  pre- 
vious she  had  Avandered  from  C4od,  and  had  done  things  to 
the  grief  of  our  souls  and  the  injury  ofthe  cause  ;  she  also 
said  that  she  had  used  her  endeavours  to  persuade  her 
husband  and  the  other  Hottentots  to  abandon  the  station 
and  return  home,  and  that  in  the  midst  of  her  fiery  opposi- 
tion to  us  the  Lord  laid  his  hand  upon  her.  She  had  thus 
been  brought  to  a  sense  of  her  danger,  and  to  have  recourse 
to  the  precious  blood  of  Chri.st  which  cleanseth  from  all  sin. 
She  made  a  full,  free,  and  public  confession  of  all  her  ini- 
quity ;  and  a  short  time  before  her  death,  remembering 
again  the  injury  she  had  attempted  to  do  by  endeavouring 
to  persuade  the  men  to  abandon  the  mission,  she  called  them 
together  to  her  bedside,  and,  as  her  dying  request,  entreated 
them  not  to  leave  the  missionaries,  however  accumulated 
their  privations  might  be,  adding,  that  it  was  at  their  peril 
they  deserted  them.  During  the  whole  of  her  illness  not  a 
murmur  escaped  her  lips.  Resting  on  the  righteousness  of 
Christ,  she  gloried  in  his  cross.  A  lively  gratitude  to  Gcd, 
who  had  redeemed  her,  beamed  forth  in  her  whole  demean- 
our, and  when  we  were  called  to  witness  her  last  struggle 
with  the  king  of  terrors,  we  beheld  with  feelings  no  tongue 
can  utter,  the  calmness  and  serenity  of  her  mind  in  the 
lively  anticipation  of  immortal  glory,  and  saw  her  breathe 
her  last.  Thus,  as  with  captive  Israel  of  old,  "  oiu-  God  did 
lighten  our  eyes,  and  give  us  a  little  reviving  in  our  bondage." 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

In  every  heathen  country  the  missionary  finds,  to  his 
sorrow,  some  predominating  barriers  to  his  usefuhiess,  which 
require  to  be  overcome  before  he  can  expect  to  reach  the 
judgments  of  the  populace.  Sorcerers  or  rain-makers,  for 
both  offices  are  generally  assumed  by  one  individual,  are 
the  principal  with  which  he  has  to  contend  in  the  interior  of 
Southern  Africa.  They  are,  as  Mr.  Kay  rightly  designates 
them,  "  our  inveterate  enemies,  and  uniformly  oppose  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  amongst  their  countrymen  to  the 
utmost  of  their  power.  Like  the  angekoks  of  the  Greenland- 
ers,  the  pawaws  of  the  Indians,  and  the  greegrees  of  Western 
Africa,  they  constitute  the  very  pillars  of  Satan's  kingdom  in 
all  places  where  such  impostors  are  found.  By  them  is  his 
throne  supported  and  the  people  kept  in  bondage  ;  when 
these,  therefore,  are  confounded,  and  constrained  to  flee,  we 
cannot  but  rejoice,  for  then  indeed  have  we  demonstrative 
evidence  that  "the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  in  Avord,  but  in 
power."  The  rain-maker  is  in  the  estimation  of  the  people 
no  mean  personage,  possessing  an  influence  over  tlie  minds 
of  the  people  superior  even  to  that  of  their  king,  who  is 
likewise  compelled  to  yield  to  the  dictates  of  this  arch-offi- 
cial. The  anomalies  in  the  human  character  can  alone 
account  for  reasonable,  and  often  intelligent  beings  yielding 
a  passive  obedience  to  the  absurd  demands  of  this  capricious 
individual.  Nothing  can  exceed  his  freaks  of  fancy,  and 
the  adroitness  with  which  he  can  awe  the  public  mind  and 
lead  thousands  captive  at  his  will.  Each  tribe  has  one,  and 
sometimes  more,  who  are  also  doctors  and  sextons,  or  the 
superintendants  of  the  buryingof  the  dead,  it  being  generally 
believed  that  that  ceremony  has  some  influence  over  the 
watery  treasures  which  float  in  the  skies.  He  will  some- 
times give  orders,  that  none  of  the  dead  must  be  buried,  but 
dragged  to  a  distance  from  the  town  to  be  devoured  by  the 
hyenas  and  jackals.  One  old  woman  died  in  her  house  not 
far  from  our  premises  ;  we  dared  not  commit  the  body  to 
the  dust,  and  having  no  friend  to  perform  the  needful  duty, 
her  son  was  called  from  a  distance.     From  their  national 


CEREMONY   OF    BURIAL.  209 

horror  of  a  corpse,  he  tied  a  thong  to  her  leg,  avoiding  the 
touch  of  that  form  which  gave  him  hirth,  dragged  the  corpse 
to  some  hushes,  and  left  the  thong,  hecause  it  Ijad  been  in 
contact  with  the  body  of  his  mother.  Though  the  bodies  of 
the  poor  are  habitually  exposed,  the  orders  of  the  rain-maker 
apply  to  all,  because  if  any  were  buried  it  would  not  rain. 
This  shows  that,  in  their  ceremonies  connected  with  bury- 
ing the  dead,  there  is  no  reference  to  pleasing  the  spirits  of 
the  departed  ;  on  the  contrary,  a  rain-maker  himself  con- 
tended that  there  were  no  such  existences.  "  What  is  the 
difference,"  he  asked  me,  pointing  to  his  dog,  "  between  me 
and  that  animal  ?  You  say  I  am  immortal,  and  why  not  my 
dog  or  my  ox  ?  They  die,  and  do  you  see  their  souls?  What 
is  the  diiTerence  between  man  and  the  beasts  ?  None, 
except  that  man  is  the  greater  rogue  of  the  two."  Such 
was  that  wise  man's  view  of  man's  dignity  and  man's  im- 
mortality. Yet,  notwithstanding  this  low  estimate,  when  a 
person  was  buried,  a  privilege  granted  to  the  more  noble,  it 
was  attended  to  with  scrupulous  minuteness. 

The  following  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  ceremony  of  inter- 
ment, and  the  custom  which  prevails  among  these  tribes  in 
reference  to  the  dying.  When  they  see  any  indications  of 
approaching  dissolution  in  fainting  fits  or  convulsive  throes, 
they  throw  a  net  over  the  body,  and  hold  it  in  a  sitting  post- 
ure, with  the  knees  brought  in  contact  with  the  chin,  till  life 
is  gone.  The  grave,  which  is  frequently  made  in  the  fence 
surrounding  the  cattle  fold,  or  in  the  fold  itself,  if  for  a  mart, 
is  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  six  feet  deep.  The  body 
is  not  conveyed  through  the  door  of  the  lore-yard  or  court 
connected  with  each  house,  but  an  opening  is  made  in  the 
fence  for  that  purpose.  It  is  carried  to  the  grave,  having  the 
head  covered  with  a  skin,  and  is  placed  in  a  .sitting  posture. 
Much  time  is  spent  in  order  to  fix  the  corpse  exactly  facing 
the  north  ;  and  though  they  have  no  compass,  they  manage, 
after  some  consultation,  to  place  it  very  nearly  in  the  required 
position.  Portions  of  an  ant-hill  are  placed  about  the  feet, 
when  the  net  which  held  the  body  is  gradually  withdrawn  ; 
as  the  grave  is  filled  up,  the  earth  is  handed  in  with  bowls, 
while  two  men  stand  in  the  hole  to  tread  it  down  round  the 
body,  great  care  being  taken  to  pick  out  every  thing  like  a 
root  or  pebble.  When  the  earth  reaches  the  height  of  the 
mouth,  a  small  twig  or  branch  of  an  acacia  is  thrown  in,  and 
on  the  top  of  the  head  a  few  roots  of  gra.ss  are  placed  ;  and 
when  the  grave  is  nearly  filled,  another  root  of  grass  is  fixed 
immediately  above  the   head,  part  of  which  stands  above 

18* 


210  SEVERE    DROUGHT. 

ground.  When  finished,  the  men  and  women  stoop,  and 
with  their  hands  scrape  the  loose  soil  around  .on  to  the  little 
mound.  A  large  bowl  of  water,  with  an  infusion  of  bulbs, 
is  then  brought,  when  the  men  and  women  wash  their  hands 
and  the  upper  part  of  their  feet,  shouting  "  pula,  piila,"  rain, 
rain.  An  old  woman,  probably  a  relation,  will  then  bring 
his  weapons,  bows,  arrows,  war  axe,  and  spears,  also  grain 
and  garden  seeds  of  various  kinds,  and  even  the  bone  of  an 
old  pack-ox,  with  other  things,  and  address  the  grave,  say- 
ing, "  there  are  all  your  articles."  These  are  then  taken 
away,  and  bowls  of  water  are  poured  on  the  grave,  when  all 
retire,  the  women  wailing,  "  yo,  yo,  yo,"  with  some  doleful 
dirge,  sorrowing  without  hope.  These  ceremonies  vary  in 
different  localities,  and  according  to  the  rank  of  the  individ- 
ual, who  is  committed  to  the  dust.  It  is  remarkable  that 
they  should  address  the  dead  ;  and  I  have  eagerly  embraced 
this  season  to  convince  them  that  if  Ihey  did  not  believe  in 
the  immortality  of  the  soul,  it  was  evident  from  this,  to  tliem 
now  unmeaning  custom,  that  their  ancestors  once  did. 
Some  would  admit  this  might  possibly  have  been  the  case, 
but  doubted  whether  they  could  have  been  so  foolish.  But 
with  few  exceptions  among  such  a  people,  argument  soon 
closes,  or  is  turned  into  ridicule,  and  the  great  difficulty  pre- 
sents itself  of  producing  conviction  where  there  is  no  reflec- 
tion. When  we  would  appeal  to  the  supposed  influence  of 
the  dead  body  in  neutralizing  the  rain-maker's  medicines  for 
producing  rain,  and  inquire  how  such  an  influence  operated, 
the  reply  would  be,  "  The  rain-maker  says  so." 

Years  of  drought  had  been  severely  felt,  and  the  natives, 
tenacious  of  their  faith  in  the  potency  of  a  man,  held  a 
council,  and  passed  resolutions  to  send  for  a  rain-maker  of 
renown  from  the  Bahurutsi  tribe,  200  miles  north-east  of  the 
Kuruman  station.  Rain-makers  have  always  most  honour 
among  a  strange  people,  and  therefore  they  are  generally 
foreigners.  The  one  in  question  had  been  very  successlid 
among  the  Bahurutsian  mountains,  which,  lying  east  of  the 
Backbone  of  Africa,  and  at  the  sources  of  those  rivers  which 
empty  themselves  into  the  Indian  Ocean,  were  visited  not 
only  with  great  thunder-storms,  but  land  rains,  with  the  un- 
der strata  of  clouds,  which  the  natives  call  female  ones, 
resting  on  the  summits.  It  was  natural  to  suppose  that  the 
offer  must  be  a  tempting  one  which  could  draw  him  from  a 
post  so  lucrative,  and  where  he  had  so  signalized  his  boasted 
powers.  The  Bechuanas  possess  very  inventive  minds ;  and 
when  they  have  a  point  to  gain,  as   truth  and  honour  are 


EMBASSY    FOR    A   RAIN-MAKER.  211 

never  regarded,  they  find  no  difficulty  in  embellishing  tlieir 
story.  The  ambassadors  received  their  commission  with  the 
strictest  injunction  not  to  return  without  the  man.  No  doubt 
many  were  their  cogitations  ^n  the  journey  how  they  might 
best  succeed.  Promises  were  cheap,  and  with  a  redun- 
dance of  the  fairest  kind,  they  succeeded  beyond  expecta- 
tion. This,  however,  was  not  surprising,  when  they  assured 
him  that,  if  he  would  only  come  to  the  land  of  the  Batlapis, 
and  open  the  teats  of  the  heavens,  which  had  become  as 
hard  as  a  stone,  cause  the  rains  to  fall  and  quench  the  flam- 
ing ground,  he  should  be  made  the  greatest  man  that  ever 
lived ;  his  riches  should  be  beyond  all  calculation  ;  his  flocks 
covering  the  hills  and  plains  ;  he  should  wash  his  liands  in 
milk,  while  all  would  exalt  him  in  the  song,  and  mothers 
and  children  would  call  him  blessed.  When  a  period  Lad 
elapsed  sufficient  to  allow  the  messengers  time  to  return,  it 
was  rumored  through  the  town,  that  they  had  been  mur- 
dered, a  conmion  event  in  those  days.  The  gloom  which 
this  cast  over  the  native  mind,  formed  a  striking  contrast  to 
the  dazzling  rays  pouring  forth  from  an  almost  vertical  sun 
blazing  in  a  cloudless  sky.  The  heavens  had  been  as  brass, 
scarcely  a  cloud  had  been  seen  for  months,  even  on  the  dis- 
tant horizon.  Suddenly  a  shout  was  raised,  and  the  whole 
town  was  in  motion.  The  rain-maker  was  approaching. 
Every  voice  M^as  raised  to  the  highest  pitch  with  acclama- 
tions of  enthusiastic  joy.  He  had  sent  a  harbinger  to  an- 
nounce his  approach,  with  peremptory  orders  for  all  tlie 
inhabitants  to  wash  their  feet.  Every  one  seemed  to  fly  in 
swiftest  obedience  to  the  adjoining  river.  Noble  and  igno- 
ble, even  the  girl  who  attended  to  our  kitchen  fire,  ran.  Old 
and  young  ran.  All  the  world  could  not  have  stopped  them. 
By  this  time  the  clouds  began  to  gather,  and  a  crowd  wejit 
out  to  welcome  the  mighty  man  who,  as  they  imagined,  v,  as 
now  collecting  in  the  heavens  his  stores  of  rain. 

Just  as  he  was  descending  the  height  into  the  toAvn,  the 
immense  concourse  danced  and  shouted,  so  that  the  very 
earth  rang,  and  at  the  same  time  the  lightnings  darted,  and 
the  thunders  roared  in  awful  grandeur.  A  few  heavy  drops 
fell,  which  produced  the  most  thrilling  ecstacy  on  the  de- 
luded multitude,  whose  slioutings  baffled  all  description. 
Faith  hung  upon  the  lips  of  the  impostor,  while  he  proclaim- 
ed aloud  that  this  year  the  women  must  cultivate  gardens 
on  the  hills,  and  not  in  the  valleys,  for  these  would  be 
deluged.  After  the  din  had  somewhat  subsided,  a  few  indi- 
viduals came   to  our  dvveUings  to  treat  us  and  our  doctrines 


212  HIS    POPULARITY. 

with  derision.  "  Where  is  your  God  ?"  one  asked  with  a 
sneer.  We  were  silent,  because  the  wicked  were  before  us. 
"  Have  )^ou  not  seen  our  Morimo  ?  Have  you  not  beheld 
him  cast  from  his  arm  his  fiery  spears,  and  rend  the  heavens? 
Have  you  not  heard  with  your  ears  his  voice  in  the  clouds  ?" 
adding  with  an  interjection  of  supreme  disgust,  "  You  talk 
of  Jehovah,  and  Jesus,  what  can  they  do?"  Never  in  my  life  do 
I  remember  a  text  being  brought  home  with  such  power  as 
the  words  of  the  Psalmist ;  "  Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am 
God :  I  will  be  exalted  among  the  heathen."  Then  truly 
the  enemy  came  in  as  a  flood,  and  it  became  us  to  take 
refuge  in  the  Most  High,  to  be  enabled  to  lift  up  a  standard 
against  him.  In  conducting  our  evening  service,  my  mind 
w  as  powerfully  directed  to  Psalm  xcvii.  2,  "  Clouds  and  dark- 
ness are  round  about  him,"  etc. 

It  was  natural  for  us  to  calculate  on  our  already  dark  and 
devious  course  becoming  more  gloomy  still,  from  the  stormy 
ebullitions  of  minds  inflated  by  the  fictitious  scenes  which 
the  magic  powers  of  the  rain-maker  could  paint  with  a 
masterly  hand.  He  had  before  his  singularly  delightful, 
though  clamorous  reception  among  his  new  friends,  been 
particularly  informed  of  the  character  and  objects  of  the 
Missionaries,  which  his  discerning  mind  would  soon  discover 
stood  in  fearful  opposition  to  his  own.  The  rain-makers,  as 
I  have  since  had  frequent  opportunities  of  observing,  were 
men  of  no  common  calibre,  and  it  was  the  conviction  of  their 
natural  superiority  of  genius,  which  emboldened  them  to  lay 
the  public  mind  prostrate  before  the  reveries  of  their  fancies. 
Being  foreigners,  they  generally  amplified  prodigiously  on 
their  former  feats.  The  present  one,  as  has  been  noticed, 
was  above  the  common  order.  He  kept  the  chiefs  and  no- 
bles gazing  on  him  with  silent  amazement,  while  the  demon 
of  mendacity  enriched  his  themes  wdth  lively  imagery,  mak- 
ing them  fancy  they  saw  their  corn-fields  floating  in  the 
breeze,  and  their  flocks  and  herds  return  lowing  homewards 
by  noonday  from  the  abundance  of  pasture.  He  had  in  his 
wrath  desolated  the  cities  of  the  enemies  of  his  people,  by 
stretching  forth  his  hand,  and  commanding  the  clouds  to 
burst  upon  them.  He  had  arrested  the  progress  of  a  power- 
ful army,  by  causing  a  flood  to  descend,  which  formed  a 
mighty  river,  and  arrested  their  course.  These,  and  many 
other  pretended  supernatural  displays  of  his  power,  were 
received  as  sober  truths.  The  report  of  his  fame  spread 
like  wild-fire,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  neighbouring  tribes  came 
to  pay  him  homage.     We  scarcely  knew  whether  to  expect 


HIS    CRAFTINESS.  213 

from  him  open  hostility,  secret  machinations,  or  professed 
friendship.  He,  like  all  of  his  profession,  was  a  thinking  and 
calculating  soul,  in  the  hahit  of  studying  human  nature,  af- 
fahle,  engaging,  with  an  acute  eye,  and  exhibiting  a  dignity 
of  mien,  with  an  ample  share  of  self  esteem,  Avhich,  not- 
withstanding all  his  obsequiousness,  he  could  not  hide.  He 
waited  upon  us,  and  it  was  well ;  for  though  we  wished  at 
all  times  to  become  all  things  to  all  men,  he  would  have 
grown  old  before  we  could  have  constrained  ourselves  to  pay 
court  to  one,  who,  under  the  influence  of  the  great  enemy 
of  souls,  had  reached  the  very  pinnacle  of  fame.  He  found 
we  were  men  of  peace,  and  would  not  quarrel.  For  the 
sake  of  obtaining  a  small  piece  of  tobacco,  he  would  occa- 
sionally pay  us  a  visit,  and  even  enter  the  place  of  worship. 
He  was  also  studious  not  to  give  offence,  while  in  the  course 
of  conversation,  he  would  give  a  feeble  assent  to  our  views, 
as  to  the  sources  of  that  element,  over  which  he  pretended 
to  have  a  sovereign  control.  He  said  he  was  poor,  and  this 
fact  to  thinking  minds,  would  have  proved  that  his  successful 
achievements  must  have  been  either  gratuitous  or  ill  re- 
warded. When  I  put  a  question  on  the  subject  to  one  of  his 
achnirers,  in  order  to  excite  suspicion,  the  reply  was,  "  The 
Bahurutsis,"  the  people  from  whom  he  came,  "  are  stingy  ; 
they  never  reward  people  for  their  services." 

It  might  be  briefly  noticed  that  in  order  to  carry  on  the 
fraud,  he  would  when  clouds  appeared  order  the  women 
neither  to  plant  nor  sow,  lest  they  should  he  scared  away. 
He  would  also  re([uire  them  to  go  to  the  fields,  and  gather 
certain  roots  and  herbs,  with  which  he  might  light  what  ap- 
peared to  the  natives  mysterious  fires.  Elate  with  hope, 
they  would  go  in  crowds  to  the  hills  and  dales,  herborize, 
and  return  to  the  town  with  songs,  and  lay  their  gatherings 
at  his  feet.  With  these  he  would  sometimes  proceed  to  cer- 
tain hills,  and  raise  smoke  ;  gladly  would  he  have  raised  the 
wind  also,  if  he  could  have  done  so,  Avell  knowing  that  the 
latter  is  frequently  the  precursor  of  rain.  He  would  select 
tlie  time  of  new  and  full  moon  for  his  purpose,  aware  that 
at  those  seasons  there  was  frequently  a  change  in  the  at- 
mosphere. It  was  often  a  matter  of  speculation  with  me 
wliether  such  men  had  not  tlie  fullest  conviction  in  their  own 
minds  that  they  were  gulling  the  public  ;  and  opportunities 
have  been  aflbrded  which  convinced  me,  that  my  suspicions 
were  well  grounded.  I  met  one  among  the  Barolongs,  who, 
from  some  service  I  had  done  him,  thought  me  very  kind, 
and,  before  he  knew  my  character,  became  very   intimate. 


214  RAIN    CHURNED    OUT   OF    A    SACK. 

He  had  derived  benefit  from  some  of  my  medicines,  and 
consequently  viewed  me  as  a  doctor  and  one  of  his  own  fra- 
ternity. In  reply  to  some  of  my  remarks,  he  said,  "  It  is 
only  wise  men  who  can  be  rain-makers,  for  it  requires  very 
great  wisdom  to  deceive  so  many ;"  adding,  "  you  and  I 
know  that."  At  the  same  time  he  gave  me  a  broad  hint 
that  I  must  not  remain  there,  lest  I  should  interfere  with  his 
field  of  labour. 

The  rain-maker  found  the  clouds  in  our  country  rather 
harder  to  manage  than  those  he  had  left.  He  complained 
that  secret  rogues  were  disobeying  his  proclamations.  When 
urged  to  make  repeated  trials,  he  would  reply,  "  You  only 
give  me  sheep  and  goats  to  killj  therefore  I  can  only  make 
goat-rain  ;  give  me  fat  slaughter  oxen,  and  I  shall  let  you 
see  ox-rain."  One  day,  as  he  Avas  taking  a  sound  sleep,  a 
shower  fell,  on  which  one  of  the  principal  men  entered  his 
house  to  congratulate  him,  but  to  his  utter  amazement  found 
hiin  totally  insensible  to  what  was  transpiring.  "  Hela  ka 
rare,  (Halloo,  by  my  father,)  I  thought  you  were  making 
rain,"  said  the  intruder,  when,  arising  from  his  slumbers,  and 
seeing  his  wife  sitting  on  the  floor  shaking  a  milk-sack  in 
order  to  obtain  a  little  butter  to  anoint  her  hair,  he  replied, 
pointing  to  the  operation  of  churning,  "  Do  you  not  see  my 
wife  churning  rain  as  fast  as  she  can  V"  This  reply  gave  en- 
tire satisfaction,  and  it  presently  spread  through  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  town,  that  the  rahi-maker  had  cliurned 
the  shower  out  of  a  milk  sack.  The  moisture  caused  by  this 
shower  was  dried  up  by  a  scorching  sun,  and  many  long 
weeks  followed  without  a  single  cloud,  and  when  these  did 
appear  they  might  sometimes  be  seen,  to  the  great  mortifi- 
cation of  the  conjurer,  to  discharge  their  watery  treasures  at 
an  immense  distance.  This  disappointment  was  increased 
when  a  heavy  cloud  would  pass  over  with  tremendous  thun- 
der, but  not  one  drop  of  rain.  There  had  been  several  suc- 
ces.sive  years  of  drought,  during  which  water  had  not  been 
seen  to  flow  upon  the  ground  ;  and  in  that  climate,  if  rain 
does  not  fall  continuously  and  in  considerable  quantities,  it 
is  all  exhaled  in  a  couple  of  hours.  In  digging  graves  we 
have  found  tlie  earth  as  dry  as  dust  at  four  or  five  feet  depth, 
when  the  surfjice  was  saturated  with  rain. 

The  women  had  cultivated  extensive  fields,  but  the  seed 
was  lying  in  the  soil  as  it  had  been  thrown  from  the  hand  ; 
the  cattle  were  dying  from  want  of  pasture,  and  hundreds 
of  living  skeletons  were  seen  going  to  the  fields  in  quest  of 
unwholesome   roots  and  reptiles,  while  many  were  dying 


TREE    STRUCK   EY    LIGHTNING.  215 

with  huno^er.  Our  sheep,  as  before  stated,  were  soon  likely 
to  be  all  devoured,  and  finding  tbeir  number  daily  diminish, 
we  slaughtered  the  remainder  and  put  the  meat  in  salt, 
which  of  course  Avas  far  from  being  agreeable  in  such  a 
climate,  and  where  vegetables  were  so  scarce. 

All  these  circumstances  irritated  the  rain-maker  very 
much  ;  but  he  was  often  puzzled  to  find  something  on  which 
to  lay  the  blame,  for  he  had  exhausted  his  skill.  One  night, 
a  small  cloud  passed  over,  and  the  only  flash  of  lightning, 
from  which  a  heavy  peal  of  thunder  burst,  struck  a  tree  in 
the  town.  Next  day  the  rain-maker  and  a  number  of  people 
assembled  to  perform  the  usual  ceremony  on  such  an  event. 
It  was  ascended,  and  ropes  of  grass  and  grass  roots  were 
bound  round  different  parts  of  the  trunk,  which  in  the  Acacia 
giraffe  is  seldom  much  injured.  A  hmb  may  be  torn  off, 
but  of  numerous  trees  of  that  species  which  I  have  seen 
struck  by  lightning,  the  trunk  appears  to  resist  its  power,  as 
the  fluid  produces  only  a  stripe  or  groove  along  the  bark  to 
the  ground.  When  these  bandages  were  made  he  depo- 
sited some  of  his  nostrums,  and  got  quantities  of  water 
handed  up,  which  he  poured  with  great  solemnity  on  the 
wounded  tree,  while  the  assembled  multitude  shouted 
"  Pala,  pula.^^  This  done,  the  tree  was  hewn  down,  drag- 
ged out  of  the  town,  and  burned  to  ashes.  Soon  after  this 
unmeaning  ceremony,  he  got  large  bowls  of  water,  with 
which  was  mingled  an  infusion  of  bulbs.  All  the  men  of 
the  town  then  came  together,  and  passed  in  succession  be- 
fore him,  when  he  sprinkled  each  with  a  zebra's  tail,  which 
he  dipped  in  the  water. 

As  all  this  and  much  more  did  not  succeed,  he  had 
recourse  to  another  stratagem.  He  knew  well  that  baboons 
were  not  very  easily  caught  among  the  rocky  glens  and 
slielving  precipices,  therefore,  in  order  to  gain  time,  he 
informed  the  men  that,  to  make  rain,  he  must  have  a 
baboon :  that  the  animal  must  be  without  a  blemish,  not  a 
hair  was  to  be  wanting  on  its  body.  One  would  have 
thought  any  simpleton  might  have  seen  through  his  tricks, 
as  tlieir  being  able  to  present  him  with  a  baboon  in  that 
state  was  impossible,  even  though  they  caught  him  asleep. 
Forth  sallied  a  band  of  chosen  runners,  who  ascended  the 
neighbouring  mountains.  The  baboons  from  their  lofty 
domiciles  had  been  in  the  habit  of  looking  down  on  the  plain 
beneath  at  the  natives  encircling,  and  pursuing  the  quaggas 
and  antelopes,  little  dreaming  that  one  day  they  would 
themselves  be  objects  of  pursuit.     They  hobbled  ofl'  in  con- 


216  THE  lion's  heart. 

sternation,  gruntin^  and  screaming  and  leaping  from  rock  to 
rock,  occasionally  looking  down  on  their  pursuers,  grinning 
and  gnasliing  their  teeth. 

After  a  long  pursuit  with  wounded  limbs,  scratched 
bodies,  and  broken  toes,  a  young  one  was  secured  and 
brought  to  the  town,  the  captors  exulting  as  if  they  bad 
obtained  a  great  spoil.  The  wily  rogue,  on  seeing  the 
animal,  put  on  a  countenance  exhibiting  the  most  intense 
sorrow,  exclaiming,  '•  My  heart  is  rent  in  pieces ;  I  am 
dimib  with  grief;"  and  pointing  to  the  ear  of  the  baboon, 
which  was  scratched,  and  the  tail,  which  had  lost  some 
hairs,  added,  "  Did  I  not  tell  you  I  could  not  make  rain  if 
there  was  one  hair  wanting?"  After  some  days  another  was 
obtained ;  but  there  was  still  some  imperfection,  real  or 
alleged.  He  had  often  said,  that,  ii"  they  would  procure  him 
the  heart  of  a  lion,  he  would  show  them  he  could  make  rain 
so  abundant,  that  a  man  might  think  himself  well  off  to  be 
under  shelter,  as  when  it  fell  it  might  sweep  whole  towns 
away.  He  had  discovered  that  the  clouds  required  strong 
medicine,  and  that  a  hon's  heart  would  do  the  business.  To 
obtain  this,  the  rain-maker  well  knew  was  no  joke.  One 
day  it  was  announced  that  a  lion  had  attacked  one  of  the 
cattle  outposts,  not  far  from  the  town,  and  a  party  set  off  for 
the  twofold  purpose  of  getting  a  key  to  the  clouds  and 
disposing  of  a  dangerous  enemy.  The  orders  were  impera- 
tive, whatever  the  consequences  might  be,  which,  in  this 
instance,  might  have  been  very  serious,  had  not  one  of  our 
men  shot  the  terrific  animal  dead  with  a  gun.  This  was 
no  sooner  done  than  it  was  cut  up  for  roa.sting  and  boiling ; 
no  matter  if  it  had  previously  eaten  some  of  their  relations, 
they  ate  it  in  its  turn.  Nothing  could  exceed  their  enthu- 
siasm when  they  returned  to  the  town,  bearing  the  lion's 
heart,  and  singing  the  conqueror's  song  in  full  chorus;  the 
rain-maker  prepared  his  medicines,  kindled  his  fires,  and 
might  be  seen  upon  the  top  of  the  hill,  stretching  forth  bis 
puny  hands,  and  beckoning  the  clouds  to  draw  near,  or  even 
sliaking  his  spear,  and  threatening  that  if  they  disobeyed, 
they  should  feel  his  ire.  The  deluded  populace  believed  all 
this,  and  wondered  the  rains  would  not  fall.  Asking  an 
experienced  and  judicious  man,  the  king's  uncle,  how  it  was 
that  so  great  an  operator  on  the  clouds  could  not  succeed, 
"Ah,"  he  replied,  with  apparent  feeling,  "there  is  a  cause 
for  the  hardheartedness  of  the  clouds  if  the  rain-maker  could 
only  find  it  out."  A  scrutinizing  watch  was  kept  up  on 
every  thing  done  by  the  missionaries.     Some  weeks  after 


A   GRAND    DISCOVERY.  217 

my  return  from  a  visit  to  Griqua  Town,  a  grand  discovery 
was  made,  that  the  rain  had  been  prevented  by  my  bringing 
a  bag  of  salt  from  that  place  in  my  wagon.  The  charge 
was  made  by  the  king  and  his  attendants,  with  great  gravity 
and  form.  As  giving  the  least  offence  by  laughing  at  their 
puerile  actions,  ought  always  to  be  avoided  when  dealing 
with  a  people  who  are  sincere,  though  deluded,  the  case  was 
on  my  part  investigated  with  more  than  usual  solemnity. 
Mothibi  and  his  aid-de-camp  accompanied  me  to  the  store- 
house, where  the  identical  bag  stood.  It  was  open,  with  the 
white  contents  full  in  view.  "  There  it  is,"  he  exclaimed, 
with  an  air  of  satisfaction.  But  finding,  on  examination, 
that  the  reported  salt  was  only  white  clay  or  chalk,  they 
could  not  help  laughing  at  their  own  credulity. 

We  fearlessly  pointed  out  to  them  their  delusion,  and  our 
only  wonder  was  that  we  had  not  been  accused  before  ;  we 
had  occasionally  heard  whispermgs  that  we  were  not  guilt- 
less of  the  great  drought.  We  tried  both  in  public  and  in 
private  conversation  to  impress  them  with  the  sublime  truths 
of  creation,  providence,  and  redemption,  but  the  universal 
reply  was,  "  maka  hela,"  only  lies.  In  a  conversation  with 
Mothibi,  the  rain-maker,  and  a  few  others,  I  remarked,  in 
reference  to  some  insinuations,  that  I  should  with  great  plea- 
sure meet  him  before  an  assembly  of  the  people,  and  discuss 
the  subject.  To  this  he  at  first  consented,  but  soon  after- 
wards retracted,  for  this  reason,  that  the  subject  which  we 
should  have  to  discuss,  was  far  too  high  for  the  people,  being 
what  only  rain-makers  and  philosopliers  could  talk  about. 
We  consoled  ourselves  with  the  hope  that  there  was  no  pro- 
bability of  our  being  implicated,  as  our  few  cows  as  well  as 
theirs  were  dying,  and  we  were  without  a  drop  of  milk. 
Nothing  could  exceed  the  artfulness  with  which  he  carried 
on  the  game;  he  said  the  Bushmen  had  cut  down  certain 
bushes  behind  the  hills,  and  he  advised  an  extirpating  com- 
mando to  go  against  them.  This  was  overruled.  He  then 
discovered  that  a  corpse,  which  had  been  put  into  the  ground 
some  weeks  before,  had  not  received  enough  water  at  its 
burial.  He  knew  the  horror  the  Bechuanas  had  at  the  idea 
of  touching  a  putrid  body,  and  he  thought  he  would  fix  them, 
and  made  it  known  that  the  body  must  be  taken  up,  washed, 
and  re-interred.  He  supposed  they  would  not  do  this,  but 
he  was  mistaken ;  the  ceremony,  horrible  as  it  must  have 
been,  was  performed,  but  the  sky  remained  cloudless  still. 

The  people  at  last  became  impatient,  and  poured  forth 
their  curses  against  brother   Hamilton  and  myself,  as  the 

19 


218  THE    RAIN-MAKER    BEGINS    TO    DESPAIR. 

cause  of  all  their  sorrows.  Our  bell,  which  was  rung  for 
public  worship,  they  said,  frightened  the  clouds  ;  our  prayers 
came  in  also  for  a  share  of  the  blame.  "  Don  t  you,"  said 
the  chief  rather  fiercely  to  me,  "bow  down  in  your  houses, 
and  pray  and  talk  to  something  bad  in  the  ground  ?"  A 
council  was  held,  and  restrictions  were  to  be  laid  on  all  our 
actions.  We  refused  compliance,  urging  that  the  spot  on 
which  the  mission  premises  stood,  had  been  given  to  the 
missionaries.  The  rain-maker  appeared  to  avoid  accusing 
us  openly  ;  he  felt  some  sense  of  obligation,  his  wife  having 
experienced  that  my  medicines  and  mode  of  bleeding  did 
her  more  good  than  all  his  nostrums.  He  would  occasion- 
ally visit  our  humble  dwellings,  and  when  I  happened  to  be 
in  the  smith's  shop,  he  would  look  on  most  intently  when 
he  saw  a  piece  of  iron  welded,  or  an  instrument  made,  and 
tell  me  privately  he  wished  I  were  living  among  his  people, 
assuring  me  that  there  was  plenty  of  timber  and  iron  there. 
One  day  he  came  and  sat  down,  with  a  face  somewhat 
elongated,  and  evincing  inward  dissatisfaction.  On  making 
inquiry,  I  found,  as  I  had  heard  whispered-  the  day  before, 
that  all  was  not  right ;  the  public  voice  was  sounding  omi- 
nous in  his  ears.  He  inquired  how  the  women  were  in  our 
country  ;  and  supposing  he  wished  to  know  what  they  were 
like,  I  pointed  him  to  my  wife,  adding,  that  there  were  some 
taller,  and  some  shorter  than  she  was.  "  That  is  not  what 
I  mean,"  he  replied  ;  "  I  want  to  know  what  part  they  take 
in  public  affairs,  and  how  they  act  when  they  do  so."  I  re- 
plied, "  that  when  the  women  of  my  country  had  occasion 
to  take  an  active  part  in  any  public  affairs,  they  carried  all 
before  them ;"  adding,  in  a  jocose  strain,  "  wait  till  we  mis- 
sionaries get  the  women  on  our  side,  as  they  now  are  on 
yours,  and  there  will  be  no  more  rain-makers  in  the  coun- 
try." At  this  remark  he  looked  at  me  as  if  I  had  just  risen 
out  of  the  earth,  "  May  that  time  never  arrive  !"  he  cried, 
with  a  countenance  expressive  of  unusual  anxiety.  I  re- 
plied, "  that  time  would  assuredly  come,  for  Jehovah,  the 
mighty  Ciod,  had  spoken  it."  He  was  evidently  chagrined, 
for  he  had  come  for  advice.  "  What  am  I  to  do  ?"  he  in- 
quired ;  "  I  wish  all  the  women  were  men ;  I  can  get  on 
with  the  men,  but  I  cannot  manage  the  women."  I  viewed 
this  as  a  delicate  moment,  and,  feeling  the  need  of  caution, 
replied,  "  that  the  women  had  just  cause  to  complain  ;  he 
had  promised  them  rain,  but  the  land  was  dust,  their  gar- 
dens burned  up,  and  were  I  a  woman,  I  would  complain  as 
loudly  as  any  of  them."     To  his  inquiry,  "  What  am  I  to 


A   GRAVE  CHARGE.  219 

do  to  pacify  them  ?"  I  recommended  him  to  be  an  honest 
man,  and  confess  that  he  had  been  misleading  himself  as 
well  as  the  public.  "  They  will  kill  me,"  he  said.  I  re- 
peated my  advice,  "  Be  honest,"  adding",  that  if  he  were  in 
any  danger,  we  would  do  what  we  could  to  save  him.  He 
arose,  and  retired  with  a  sorrowful  countenance,  leaving  Mr. 
Hamilton  and  myself  to  draw  our  own  conclusions.  Of  one 
thing  we  were  persuaded,  that  a  storm  was  gathering,  not 
such  a  one,  however,  as  would  cover  the  hills  and  valleys 
•with  verdure,  and  the  fields  with  corn,  but  one  which  might 
sweep  away  the  desire  of  our  hearts,  in  breaking  up  the  mis- 
sion. At  such  seasons  we  were  enabled  by  faith  to  realize 
the  consoling  assurance,  "  The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us  ;  the 
God  of  Jacob  is  our  refuge." 

The  rain-maker  kept  himself  very  secluded  for  a  fortnight, 
and,  after  cogitating  how  he  could  make  his  own  cause  good, 
he  appeared  in  the  public  fold,  and  proclaimed  that  he  had 
discovered  the  cause  of  the  drought.  All  were  now  eagerly 
listening ;  he  dilated  some  time,  till  he  had  raised  their  ex- 
pectation to  the  highest  pitch,  when  he  revealed  the  mys- 
tery. "  Do  you  not  see,  when  clouds  come  over  us,  that 
Hamilton  and  Moffat  look  at  them  ?"  This  question  receiv- 
ing a  hearty  and  unanimous  affirmation,  he  added,  that  our 
white  faces  frightened  away  the  clouds,  and  they  need  not 
expect  rain  so  long  as  we  were  in  the  country.  This  was  a 
home-stroke,  and  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  us  to  calculate 
what  the  influence  of  such  a  charge  would  be  on  the  public 
mind.  We  were  very  soon  informed  of  the  evil  of  our  con- 
duct, to  which  we  pleaded  guilty,  promising,  that  as  we  were 
not  aware  that  we  were  doing  wrong,  being  as  anxious  as 
any  of  them  for  rain,  we  would  willingly  look  to  our  chins, 
or  the  ground,  all  the  day  long,  if  it  would  serve  their  pur- 
po.se.  It  was  rather  remarkable,  that  much  as  they  admir- 
ed my  long  black  beard,  they  thought  that  in  this  case  it  was 
most  to  blame.  However,  this  season  of  trial  passed  over, 
to  our  great  comfort,  though  it  was  followed  for  some  time 
with  many  indications  of  suspicion  and  distrust. 

Shortly  after,  we  accidentally  heard  that  some  one  was  to 
be  speared.  Violent  as  the  natives  some  times  were  against 
us,  we  did  not  suspect  injury  was  intended  to  ourselves.  We 
imagined  it  was  the  poor  rain-maker,  and  though  we  felt 
anxious  by  any  means  to  save  his  life,  the  great  difficulty 
was  to  find  out  whether  he  was  to  be  the  victim  ;  for  though 
we  had  several  of  their  people  about  us,  and  their  council 
chamber  was  in  the  open  air  exposed  to  the  vulgar,  it  was  a 


220  THE   RAIN-MAKER    CONDEMNED. 

difficult  matter  to  discover  secrets  of  that  description.  Anx- 
ious to  save  life,  which  the  Bechuanas  will  sometimes  allow 
to  be  redeemed,  it  occurred  to  me  that  a  very  simple  strata- 
gem might  unveil  the  mystery  ;  I  knew  an  individual  of  in- 
fluence who  was  likely  to  know  the  affair.  She  was  often 
ailing,  and,  like  all  the  natives,  fond  of  medicines,  for  among 
such  a  people  a  doctor  is  always  welcome,  especially  if  he 
asks  no  fee.  My  inquiries  about  the  state  of  her  health,  and 
the  expression  of  sympathy,  were  most  acceptable,  and  the 
moment  I  saw  her  well  pleased,  I  asked,  as  if  it  were  a  well- 
known  fact,  "  Why  are  they  thinking  of  killing  the  rain- 
maker? they  surely  do  not  intend  to  eat  him.  Why  not  let 
the  poor  man  go  to  his  own  land  ?"  She  very  abruptly  ask- 
ed, "  Who  told  you?"  Rising,  I  said,  "that  is  all  1  want  to 
know ;"  when  she  called  out  after  me,  "  Do  not  tell  that  I 
told  you,  or  they  will  kill  me."  I  entered  the  public  fold, 
where  about  thirty  of  the  principal  men  sat  in  secret  coun- 
cil ;  it  was  a  council  of  death.  Had  I  put  the  question  whe- 
ther they  really  intended  to  commit  that  deed,  they  would 
have  gazed  on  me  with  utter  amazement,  that  I  should  have 
harboured  such  a  suspicion,  and  have  sworn,  by  all  their 
forefathers  that  ever  lived,  that  they  had  no  such  intention. 
I  asked  no  question,  but  charged  them  with  the  fact,  point- 
ing out  the  magnitude  of  the  crime  of  adding  sin  to  sin,  thus 
provoking  Jehovah,  by  placing  a  man  on  His  throne,  and 
then  killing  him,  because  he  was  unable  to  do  what  they 
wished  him  to  perform.  I  then  pleaded  hard  that  his  life 
might  be  spared,  and  he  allowed  to  return  to  his  own  coun- 
try in  peace.  A  well-known  old  man  arose,  in  a  state  of 
great  rage,  quivering  his  spear,  and,  adverting  to  the  exces- 
sive drought,  the  lean  herd.s  the  dying  people,  and  the  cattle 
which  the  rainmaker  had  eaten,  vowed  that  he  would  plunge 
that  spear  into  the  rain-maker's  heart,  and  a.sked  who  was  to 
hinder  him.  I  said  I  .should,  with  my  entreaties,  and  if 
these  would  not  do,  I  should  offer  a  ransom  to  save  his  life. 
I  was  asked  if  I  was  not  aware  that  he  was  our  enemy,  and 
that  if  he  had  had  his  will  we  should  have  been  dead. 
They  had  often  thought  us  very  silly  and  weak-minded,  to 
persist  in  telling  them  the  same  thing  so  often  about  "  one 
Jesus;"  but  now  to  see  a  man  labour  to  save  the  life  of  hi.s 
enemy,  was  what  they  could  not  comprehend.  His  life  was 
spared,  however,  and  Mothibi,  after  conducting  him  ovei 
the  plain  towards  the  Matluarin  River,  returned,  and  enter- 
ed our  house  with  a  smile  of  the  most  entire  satisfaction  on 
his  countenance,  perfectly  sensible  of  his  meritorious  conduct. 


PROSPECTS   BECOIVTE   DARKER,  221 

and  expecting  congratulations,  which  were  Uberally,  and  we 
thought  deservedly,  bestowed. 

Thus  ended,  among  the  Batlapis,  the  career  of  a  notable 
rain-maker,  whom  I  shall  have  occasion  to  notice  in  my  visit 
to  the  Bauangketsi  nation,  where  he  was  eventually  murder- 
ed. It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  a  rain-maker  seldom  dies 
a  natural  death.  I  have  known  some,  and  heard  of  many, 
who  had,  by  one  means  or  other,  fallen  a  prey  to  the  fury  of 
their  disappointed  employers,  but  notwithstanding  this,  there 
was  no  want  of  successors.  There  is  not  one  tribe  who  have 
not  imbrued  their  hands  in  the  blood  of  these  impostors, 
whom  they  first  adore,  then  curse,  and  lastly  destroy. 


CHAPTER    XX. 


Although  we  were  thus  delivered  from  the  machinations 
of  one  who,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  was  an  active,  though 
covert,  enemy  to  our  influence  among  the  people,  and  though 
his  removal  afforded  us  the  sincerest  gratification,  the  public 
mind  was  opposed  to  our  residence  in  the  country.  Every 
change  appeared  for  the  worse  ;  and  as  we  proceeded  with 
our  work,  our  prospects  became  darker  than  ever.  The 
Bushmen  had  been  very  troublesome  in  taking  cattle  and 
killing  the  watchers.  We  could  not  approve  of  the  Bechu- 
ana  system  of  vengeance  and  extirpation,  which,  instead  of 
diminishing  the  evil,  appeared  only  to  add  fuel  to  the  fire  of 
their  fierce  passions.  We  Avere  suspected  of  befriending 
that  hapless  race  of  beings,  from  charging  our  men,  who 
sometimes  went  to  assist  in  retaking  cattle,  on  no  account  to 
shoot  the  Bushmen.  It  was  in  vain  we  appealed  to  the  in- 
junctions of  Jesus,  our  Lord  and  Master:  every  argument 
of  that  description  was  always  met  with  vehemently  savage 
vociferations  of  "  Maka  hela,"  lies  only.  They  candidly  ac- 
knowledged that  we  wronged  no  man,  and  that  we  had  no 
wish  to  inflict  an  injury  on  a  single  individual ;  but  they 
would  with  equal  candour  tell  us,  that  we  were  the  cause  of 
all  the  drought ;  and  w^e  have  been  more  than  once  asked 
if  we  w^ere  not  afraid  of  lying  down  in  oiu"  beds,  lest  we 

19* 


222  A   TRYING   CRISIS. 

and  our  reed-built  houses  should  he  burned  to  ashes  before 
morning. 

Every  thing  wrong  done  by  a  Griqua  while  hunting  in  the 
country,  was  thrown  in  our  teeth  j  and  if  any  one  of  the 
natives  felt  himself  aggrieved  during  a  visit  to  that  people, 
we  were  told  that  we  ought  to  have  prevented  it.  The  im- 
proper conduct  of  some  professors  who  came  to  hunt  and 
barter,  as  in  the  first  instance  when  the  mission  was  com- 
menced, was  held  up  to  us  as  the  fruits  of  the  Gospel,  and 
they  would  tell  us  to  go  to  certain  people,  and  make  them 
good,  before  attempting  the  renovation  of  the  Bechuana  na- 
tion. We  became  inured  to  such  threatening  reproaches 
and  scorn  ;  but  many  were  the  melancholy  hours  we  spent 
in  gloomy  forebodings.  Much  gratitude  is,  however,  due  to 
Him  who  "  restraineth  his  rough  wind  in  the  day  of  his  east 
wind,"  that  we  were  never  allowed  to  suspect  that  they 
would  do  us  any  personal  violence. 

The  following  fact  will  illustrate,  in  some  measure,  the 
position  in  which  we  stood  with  the  people,  who,  by  this  time, 
were  chafed  in  spirit  by  the  severe  drought,  and  mortified  to 
the  highest  degree  to  see  all  their  boasted  powers  vanish 
like  a  vapour  on  the  mountain's  brow.  One  day,  about  noon, 
a  chief  man,  and  a  dozen  of  his  attendants,  came  and  seated 
themselves  under  the  shadow  of  a  large  tree,  near  my  house. 
A  secret  council  had  been  held,  as  is  usual,  in  the  field,  under 
pretence  of  a  hunt,  and  the  present  party  was  a  deputation 
to  apprise  us  of  the  results.  I  happened  at  that  moment  to 
be  engaged  in  repairing  my  wagon  near  at  hand.  Being  in- 
formed that  something  of  importance  was  to  be  communi- 
cated, Mr.  Hamilton  was  called.  We  stood  patiently  to  hear 
the  message,  being  always  ready  to  face  the  worst.  The 
principal  speaker  informed  us,  that  it  was  the  determination 
of  the  chiefs  of  the  people  that  we  should  leave  the  country  ; 
and  referring  to  our  disregard  of  threatenings,  added  what 
was  tantamount  to  the  assurance  that  measures  of  a  violent 
kind  would  be  resorted  to,  to  carry  their  resolutions  into  effect, 
in  case  of  our  disobeying  the  order.  While  the  chief  was 
speaking,  he  stood  in  a  rather  imposing,  I  could  not  say 
threatening,  attitude,  quivering  his  spear  in  his  right  hand. 
Mrs.  M.  was  at  the  door  of  our  cottage,  with  the  babe  in  her 
arms,  watching  the  crisis,  for  such  it  was.  We  replied, 
"  We  have  indeed  felt  most  reluctant  to  leave,  and  are  now 
more  than  ever  resolved  to  abide  by  our  post.  We  pity  you, 
for  you  know  not  what  you  do  ;  we  have  suffered,  it  is  true  ; 
and  He  whose  servants  we  are  has  directed  us  in  His  word. 


THE    SEASONS    CHANGED.  223 

'  when  tliey  persecute  you  in  one  city,  flee  ye  to  another ;' 
but  although  we  have  suffered,  we  do  not  consider  all  that 
has  been  done  to  us  by  the  people  amounts  to  persecution  ; 
we  are  prepared  to  expect  it  from  such  as  know  no  better. 
If  you  are  resolved  to  rid  yourselves  of  us,  you  must  resort 
to  stronger  measures,  for  our  hearts  are  with  you.  You  may 
shed  blood  or  burn  us  out.  We  know  you  will  not  touch  our 
wives  and  children.  Then  shall  they  who  sent  us  know, 
and  God  who  now  sees  and  hears  what  we  do,  shall  know, 
that  we  have  been  persecuted  indeed."  At  these  words  the 
chief  man  looked  at  his  companions,  remarking,  Avitli  a  sig- 
nificant shake  of  the  head,  "  These  men  must  have  ten 
lives,  when  they  are  so  fearless  of  death ;  there  must  be 
something  in  immortality."  The  meeting  broke  up,  and 
they  left  us,  no  doubt  fully  impressed  with  the  idea  that  we 
were  impracticable  men. 

We  could  not  help  feeling  deeply  thankful  for  the  turn  this 
short,  but  solemn  interview,  had  taken.  The  charge  brought 
against  us  by  the  rain-maker  was,  by  every  passing  cloud 
and  whistling  blast  from  the  torrid  zone,  brought  fresh  to 
their  minds  ;  and  they  thought  that,  having  teachers  of 
strange  doctrines  among  them,  such  as  their  forefathers  never 
knew,  the  country  would  be  burned  up.  They  were  wont 
to  tell  us  of  the  floods  of  ancient  times,  the  incessant  show- 
ers which  clothed  the  very  rocks  with  verdure,  and  the  giant 
trees  and  forests  which  once  studded  the  brows  of  the  Ham- 
hana  hills  and  neighbouring  plains.  They  boasted  of  the 
Kuruman  and  other  rivers,  with  their  impassable  torrents, 
in  which  the  hippopotami  played,  while  the  lowing  herds 
walked  to  their  necks  in  grass,  filling  their  makukas  (milk 
sacks)  with  milk,  making  every  heart  to  sing  for  joy.  It 
was  in  vain  that  we  endeavoured  to  convince  them  that  the 
dry  seasons  had  commenced  at  a  period  long  anterior  to  the 
arrival  of  the  missionaries.  Independent  of  this  fact  being 
handed  down  by  their  forefathers,  they  had  before  their  eyes 
the  fragments  of  more  fruitful  years  in  the  immense  number 
of  stumps  and  roots  of  enormous  trunks  of  acacia  giraffe, 
when  now  scarcely  one  is  to  be  seen  raising  its  stately  head 
above  the  shrubs :  while  the  sloping  sides  of  hills,  and  the 
ancient  beds  of  rivers,  plainly  evinced  that  they  were  de- 
nuded of  the  herbage  which  once  clothed  their  surface.  In- 
deed, the  whole  country  north  of  the  Orange  River  lying 
east  of  the  Kalagare  desert,  presented  to  the  eye  of  an 
European  something  like  an  old  neglected  garden  or  field. 
As,  however,  the  natives  never  philosophized  on  atmospheric 


224  INDICATIONS  OF  foumer  luxuriance. 

changes,  and  the  probable  causes  of  the  failure  of  the  plen- 
teous years,  they  were  not  likely  to  be  convinced  such  could 
depend  on  any  thing  done  by  man,  even  though  they  were 
credulous  enough  to  believe  that  their  rain-makers  could 
charm  or  frighten  the  clouds  into  showers,  or  that  our  faces 
or  prayers  could  prevent  their  descending. 

When  reference  has  been  made  to  certain  trees,  especially 
the  Milkwood,  [sideroxylum  inerme.)  and  a  few  shrubs  which 
they  prohibit  being  touched  with  a  knife  or  an  axe  when  the 
rain  is  expected,  I  have  embraced  the  opportunity  of  trying 
to  convince  the  more  intelligent,  that  they  themselves  were 
the  active  agents  of  bringing  about  an  entire  change  of  at- 
mosphere. The  Bechuanas,  especially  the  Batlapis  and  the 
neighbouring  tribes,  are  a  nation  of  levellers — not  reducing 
hills  to  comparative  plains,  for  the  sake  of  building  their 
towns,  but  cutting  down  every  species  of  timber,  without 
regard  to  scenery  or  economy.  Houses  are  chiefly  composed 
of  small  timber,  and  their  fences  of  branches  and  shrubs. 
Thus  when  they  fix  on  a  site  for  a  town,  their  first  conside- 
ration is  to  be  as  near  a  thicket  as  possible.  The  whole  is 
presently  levelled,  leaving  only  a  few  trees,  one  in  each 
great  man's  fold,  to  aflbrd  shelter  from  the  heat,  and  under 
which  the  men  work  and  recline. 

The  ground  to  be  occupied  for  cultivation  is  the  next  ob- 
ject of  attention  ;  the  large  trees  being  too  hard  for  their 
iron  axes,  they  burn  them  down  by  keeping  up  a  fire  at  the 
root.  These  supply  them  with  branches  for  fences,  while 
the  sparrows,  so  destructive  to  their  grain,  are  thus  deprived 
of  an  asylum.  These  fences,  as  well  as  those  in  the  towns, 
require  constant  repairs,  and  indeed  the  former  must  be  re- 
newed every  year,  and  by  this  means  the  country  for  many 
miles  around  becomes  entirely  cleared  of  timber  ;  while  in 
the  more  sequestered  spots,  where  they  have  their  out-posts, 
the  same  work  of  destruction  goes  on.  Thus,  of  whole  forests 
where  the  girafle  and  elephant  were  wont  to  seek  their  daily 
food,  nothing  remains. 

When  the  natives  remove  from  that  district,  which  may 
be  after  only  a  few  years,  the  minor  species  of  the  acacia 
soon  grows,  but  the  acacia  giraffe  requires  an  age  to  become 
a  tree,  and  many  ages  must  pass  before  they  attain  the  di- 
mensions of  their  predecessors.  The  wood,  when  old,  is  a 
dark  red,  rough  grained,  and  exceedingly  hard  and  heavy : 
after  being  dried  for  years,  when  thrown  into  the  water  it 
sinks  like  lead.  In  the  course  of  my  journeys  I  have  met 
with  trunks  of  enormous  size,  which,  if  the  time  were  calcu- 


DIMINUTION   OF    FOUNTAINS.  225 

lated  necessary  for  their  growth,  as  well  as  their  decay,  one 
might  be  led  to  conclude  that  they  sprung  up  iaimediately 
after  the  flood,  if  not  before  it.      The  natives  have  also  the 
yearly  custom  of  burning  the  dry  grass,  which   on  some  oc- 
casions destroys  shrubs  and  trees  even  to  the  very  summit  of 
the  mountains.      To  this  system  of  extermination  may  be  at- 
tributed the  long  succession  of  dry  seasons.     "  The  felling  of 
forests  has  been  attended  in  many  countries  by  a  diminution 
of  rain,  as  in   Barbadoes   and  Jamaica.*     For  in   tropical 
countries,  where  the  quantity  of  aqueous  vapour  in  the  at- 
mosphere is  great,  but  where,  on  the  other  hand,  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun  are   most  powerful,  any  impediment  to  the 
free  circulation  of  air,  or  any  screen  wliich  shades  the  earth 
from  the   solar  rays,   becomes   a   source  of  humidity ;  and 
whenever  dampness  or  cold  have  begun  to  be  generated  by 
such  causes,   the   condensation   of  vapour   continues.     The 
leaves,  moreover,  of  all  plants  are  alembics,  and  some  of 
those  in  the  torrid  zone   have   the  remarkable   property  of 
distilling  water,  thus  contributing  to  prevent  the  earth  from 
being  parched  up."t  This  was  a  philosophy  which  the  more 
acute  thinkers   among  the  people  could  partially  compre- 
hend, though  they  could  not  believe.      I   do  not,  however, 
despair  of  eventually  seeing  the  whole  of  the   population, 
some  of  whom  are   now  commencing  the  building  of  stone 
fences  and  brick  houses,  so  fully  satisfied  on  this  point  that 
they  will  find  it  for  their  own  interest,  as  well  as  contributing 
to  the  beauty  of  the   country  to  encourage  the  growth  of 
timber,  particularly  as  it  is  only  such  as  is  indigenous  which 
can  grow  to  any  extent.      To  the  same  cause  may  be  traced 
the  diminution  of  fountain.?,  and  the   entire  failure  of  some 
which  formerly  afforded  a  copious  supply,  such   as  Griqua 
Town,    Campbell,    and    a    great    number  of   others  which 
might  be   mentioned ;  and  which,  according  to  the   estab- 
lished theory  of  springs,  must  be   supplied  by  melted  snow, 
rain,  dew,  and  vapours  condensed.      It  has  been  remarked, 
that  since  the  accidental  destruction  of  whole   plains  of  the 
Olecb  similis  (wild  olive)  by  fire,  near  Griqua  Town,  as  well 
as  the   diminishing  of   large    shrubs   on    the    neighbouring 
heights,  a   gradual  decrease  of  rain  has  succeeded  in  that 
region,  and  thus  the  subterranean  caverns  found  to  serve  as 
reservoirs  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth  cease  to  be   supplied, 
especially  when  there  are   no  lofty  mountains  to  pierce  the 
clouds,  or  arrest  and  condense  vapours  which  float  in  the 
atmosphere. 

♦  Phil.  Trans,  vol.  ii.  p.  264.  t  Lyell's  Prin.  Geo. 


226     ,  INSTINCT   OF   ANIMALS. 

The  climate  in  the  countries  from  the  borders  of  the 
colony  to  25'^  north  latitude,  and  to  24°  east  longitude,  is 
very  similar.  The  winds  which  prevail,  especially  in  the 
higher  regions,  are  from  the  west  and  north-east.  Cold, 
withering  winds  frequently  blow  from  the  south  during  the 
winter  months,  in  which  rain  rarely  falls,  and  never  with  a 
south  wind.  In  spring,  (the  end  of  Augu.st,)  the  north  gales 
commence,  and  blow  daily,  with  great  violence,  from  about 
10  A.  M.,  to  nearly  sunset,  when  a  still,  serene  night  succeeds. 
During  the  prevalence  of  these  winds,  which  continue  till 
November,  when  the  air  becomes  modified  by  thunder- 
storms, the  atmosphere  appears  as  if  dense  with  smoke, 
reaching  as  high  as  the  clouds ;  this  appearance  is  occa- 
sioned by  the  light  particles  of  dust  brought  from  the  sandy 
plains  of  the  Kalagare  desert,  which  is  so  exquisitely  fine, 
that  it  penetrates  seams  and  cracks  which  are  almost  imper- 
vious to  water.  These  winds  may,  with  great  propriety,  be 
styled  sandy  monsoons.  They  are  so  dry,  as  to  affect  the 
skin  very  disagreeably;  and  the  process  of  exsiccation  goes 
on  rapidly,  producing  in  the  human  frame  extreme  languor, 
and  febrile  symptoms,  especially  with  those  of  a  delicate 
constitution,  who,  though  the  morning  may  be  perfectly 
serene,  have  in  themselves  indications  of  approaching  wind 
for  hours  before  it  rises.  Towards  the  latter  end  of  the 
windy  season,  the  thirsty  cattle  may  frequently  be  seen  turn- 
ing their  heads  northward  to  snuff  the  aqueous  blast,  as  their 
instinctive  powers  catch  the  scent  of  the  green  herbage 
which  is  brought  from  the  tropical  regions.  When  this  is 
the  case,  there  is  reason  to  hope  that  clouds  will  soon  make 
their  appearance  from  the  opposite  quarter.  The  wind  is 
rarely  from  the  east ;  and  when  it  is,  we  expect  rain,  which 
will  sometimes  continue  f  )r  days,  and  is  what  we  denomi- 
nate land-rain.s,  being  without  thunder.  The  instinct  of 
cattle  under  these  circumstances  is  very  remarkable,  and 
sometimes  leads  to  serious  consequences.  I  have  known 
these  animals,  after  having  travelled  nearly  200  miles  from 
their  country,  when  passing  through  one  more  sterile  and 
dry,  eagerly  snuff  the  odoriferous  gale  blowing  from  the 
luxuriant  plains  they  had  left,  and  start  off  in  a  straight  line 
to  the  place  from  whence  they  had  come. 

Many  years  previous  to  my  sojourn  in  Namaqua-land, 
Africaner  lost  the  greater  part  of  his  cattle  from  this  cause. 
One  evening  a  strong  wind  commenced  blowing  from  the 
north ;  it  smelt  of  green  grass,  as  the  natives  expressed  it. 
The  cattle,  not  being  in  folds,  started  off  after  dark.     The 


ATMOSPHERIC    PHENOMENA.  227 

circumstance  being  unprecedented,  it  was  supposed  they  had 
merely  wandered  out  to  the  common  where  they  were 
accustomed  to  graze  ;  but  it  was  found,  after  much  search, 
that  some  thousands  of  cattle  had  directed  their  course  to 
the  north,  A  few  were  recovered,  but  the  majority  escaped 
to  the  Damara  country,  after  having  been  pursued  hundreds 
of  miles.  This  instinct  directs  the  migrations  of  the  ante- 
lope and  the  wild  ass  used  to  the  wilderness,  that  snuffeth 
up  the  wind  at  her  pleasure.  Jer.  ii.  24.  These  winds,  I 
have  learned  from  inquiry,  come  from  within  the  tropics, 
where  rain  has  fallen,  and  the  cool  air  thereby  produced, 
rushes  southward  over  the  plains,  filling  up  the  space  caused 
by  the  rarefaction  of  the  air,  owing  to  the  approach  of  the 
sun  to  the  tropic  of  Capricorn.  The  more  boisterous  these 
winds  are,  the  more  reason  we  have  to  expect  rain.  They 
cannot  extend  to  any  great  height,  as  the  thunder-storms 
which  follow,  and  which  often  commence  with  a  small  cloud 
in  the  opposite  direction,  increasing  into  mountains  of  snow, 
with  a  tinge  of  yellow,  pursue  an  opposite  course.  These 
are  preceded  by  a  dead  stillness,  which  continues  till  the 
tornado  bursts  upon  us  with  awful  violence,  and  the  clouds 
have  discharged  their  watery  treasures.  In  such  a  case 
there  are  almost  always  two  strata  of  clouds,  frequently 
moving  in  opposite  directions.  The  higher  mountain-like 
masses,  with  their  edges  exactly  defined,  going  one  Avay, 
while  the  feelers,  or  loose  misty  vapour  beneath,  convulsed, 
and  roUing  in  fearful  velocity,  are  going  another ;  while  the 
peals  of  thunder  are  such  as  to  make  the  very  earth  tremble. 
The  lightning  is  of  three  descriptions,  one  kind  passing  from 
cloud  to  cloud ;  this  is  seldom  accompanied  with  any  rain. 
Another  kind  is  the  forked,  wliich  may  be  seen  passing 
through  a  cloud,  and  striking  the  earth ;  this  is  considered 
the  most  dangerous.  The  most  common,  not  always  ac- 
companied by  rain,  is  what  we  are  in  the  habit  of  calling 
stream  or  chain-lightning.  This  appears  to  rise  from  the 
earth,  in  figures  of  various  shapes,  crooked,  zigzag,  and 
oblique  ;  and  sometimes  like  a  water-spout  at  sea ;  it  con- 
tinues several  seconds,  while  the  observer  can  distinctly  see 
it  dissolve  in  pieces  like  a  broken  chain.  The  perpetual 
roar  of  awful  thunder  on  these  occasions  may  be  conceived, 
when  twenty  or  more  of  these  flashes  may  be  counted  in  one 
minute.  The  lightning  may  also  be  seen  passing  upwards 
through  the  dense  mass  of  vapour,  and  branching  out  like 
the  limbs  of  a  naked  tree  in  the  blue  sky  above.  In  .such 
storms  the  rain  frequently  falls  in  torrents,  and  runs  off  very 


228  DESCRIPTIONS    OF   THUNDER,    STORMS. 

rapidly,  not  moistening  the  earth,  except  in  sandy  plains, 
more  than  six  inches  deep. 

These  storms  are  frequently  very  destructive,  though  not 
attended  with  that  loss  of  life  common  in  more  populous 
countries.  People  are  killed,  especially  such  as  take  refuge 
under  trees  ;  houses  are  struck,  w^hen,  in  general,  some,  if 
not  all,  the  inmates  perish.  Game  are  frequently  killed  by 
it,  and  I  have  known  about  fifty  head  of  cattle  levelled  on 
the  spot.  Though  persons  do  become  so  far  accustomed  to 
these  fearful  diplays  of  Almighty  power  as  even  to  long  for 
them,  because  they  bring  rain,  yet  they  frequently  produce 
great  terror,  especially  among  the  lower  orders  of  the  ani- 
mal creation.  The  antelopes  flee  in  con.sternation  ;  and  I 
have  had  opportunities  of  observing  the  Balala  (poor  Be- 
chuanas)  start  off  early  on  the  morning  following  such  a 
storm,  in  quest  of  the  young  which  have  been  cast  through 
terror:  thus  illustrating  the  words  of  the  psalmist,  as  render- 
ed in  our  English  translation,  "  The  voice  of  the  Lord  caus- 
eth  the  hinds  to  calve,"*  or  somewhat  clearer,  as  in  the 
Dutch,  "  ca.st  their  young." 

While  on  the  subject  of  thunder,  it  may  be  proper  to  ob- 
serve, that  we  have  in  those  latitudes  what  the  natives  call 
semmairi,  (serumaeeree,)  which  is  thunder  without  clouds. 
I  have  frequently  heard  it  during  my  long  abode  in  the  coun- 
try, and  once  in  a  position  where  no  clouds  could  be  seen  for 
fifty  or  sixty  miles  round,  even  on  the  most  distant  horizon, 
for  many  weeks;  indeed,  it  may  be  said  to  be  heard  only 
when  there  are  no  clouds  whatever  to  be  seen.  When  it 
does  occur,  which  is  not  often,  it  is  after  the  sun  has  passed 
the  meridian,  and  when  the  day  is  hottest,  with  little  or  no 
wind.  The  explosion  appears  to  be  in  the  clear  blue  sky  ; 
and,  though  over  our  heads,  the  intonations  are  soft,  and  no- 
thing like  lightning  is  to  be  seen. 

Among  the  varieties  of  meteorological  phenomena,  it 
might  be  here  noticed,  that  explosions  of  substances  occa- 
sionally take  place,  which  generally  strike  awe  into  the  hea- 
then, who  are  afraid  of  signs  in  the  heavens.  These  occur 
after  dry  and  sultry  days.  I  never  met,  however,  with  a 
Mochuana  who  had  seen  or  heard  of  the  fall  of  aerolites. 
The  natives  never  appeared  to  have  formed  any  idea  of  the 
causes  which  produce  the  phenomena  of  the  heavens,  such 
as  eclipses.  The  vague,  though  universal,  notion  prevails, 
when  the  moon  is  eclipsed,  that  a  great  chief  has  died. 
They  are  directed  by  the  position  of  certain  stars  in  the  hea- 

♦  Psalm  xxix.  9 


BECHUANA  NOTIONS  OF  THUNDER.  229 

vens,  that  the  time  has  arrived,  in  the  revolving  year,  when 
particular  roots  can  be  dug  up  for  use,  or  when  they  may 
commence  their  labours  of  the  field.  This  is  their  likhako- 
logn^  (turnings  or  revolvings,)  or  what  we  should  call  the 
spring  time  of  the  year.  The  Pleiades  they  call  selemela^ 
which  may  be  translated,  cultivator,  or  the  precursor  of  agri- 
culture, from  lemela,  the  relative  verb  to  cultivate /or  ;*  and 
se,  a  pronominal  prefix,  distinguishing  them  as  the  actors. 
Thus,  when  this  constellation  assumes  a  certain  position  in 
the  heavens,  it  is  the  signal  to  commence  cultivating  their 
fields  and  gardens. f  Thunder  they  supposed  to  be  caused 
by  a  certain  bird,  which  may  be  seen  soaring  very  high  dur- 
ing the  storm,  and  which  appeared  to  the  natives  as  if  it 
nestled  among  the  forked  lightnings.  Some  of  these  birds 
are  not  unfrequently  killed,  and  their  having  been  seen  to 
descend  to  the  earth  may  have  given  rise  to  this  ludicrous  no- 
tion. I  have  never  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  this 
bird,  but  presume  it  belongs  to  the  vulture  species. 

Leaving  these  subjects  for  the  present,  we  turn  again  to 
the  mission,  which,  while  it  suffered  much  from  the  presence 
of  the  rain-maker,  his  absence  did  not  appear  to  have  pro- 
duced any  change  on  the  minds  of  the  natives,  except  that 
of  mortification. 

We  could  not  help  being  sincerely  thankful  that  there 
was  no  public  prohibition  made  against  attendance  on  divine 
worship ;  therefore,  generally,  a  few  came,  though  some- 
times only  such  as  were  our  dependents.  A  very  large 
majority  had  never  entered  the  chapel,  being  threatened  by 
their  superiors  if  they  did  ;  and  others  would  not  for  their 
lives  have  set  a  foot  within  the  threshold.  At  an  early 
period,  when  the  place  of  worship  was  built,  a  wooden 
Dutch  clock  had  been  fixed  upon  the  wall,  for  the  purpose 
of  regulating  the  hours  of  worship.  Immediately  above  the 
dial  was  a  small  box,  in  which  were  a  couple  of  lilliputian 
soldiers,  who  strutted  out  when  the  clock  struck.  Conrad 
Buys,  and  others,  had  poisoned  the  minds  of  some  of  the 

*  This  ppcufiarity  in  the  Sechuana  language  will  be  explained  in  the 
chapter  on  its  character. 

t  Dr.  Thomas  Winterbottom,  in  his  account  of  the  native  Africans  in 
the  ncicrhbourhootl  of  Sierra  Leone,  observes,  in  remarkable  unison  with 
this  statement,  that  "the  proper  time  for  preparing  the  plantations  is 
shown  by  the  particular  situation  in  the  heavens  of  the  Pleiades,  called 
by  the  Bulloras,  awarrang."  In  fact  this  notion  prevails  in  almost  all  the 
nations  of  the  interior  of  Africa  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  and 
forcibly  illustrates  the  import  of  the  interrogation,  "  Canst  thou  bind  the 
Bwect  influences  of  Pleiades  (spring)  V 

20 


230  THE    CHAPEL    CLOCK. 

leading  men  with  the  idea,  that  the  missionaries  were  only 
the  precursors  of  the  Government,  who  would  soon  follow  in 
their  train,  and  make  soldiers  of  every  one  of  them.  The 
little  images  in  the  clock  were  soon  magnified  into  Goliaths, 
and  the  place  of  worship  looked  upon  as  an  eintlii  ea  kholego^ 
a  house  of  bondage.  It  was  necessary  to  take  down  the 
fairy-looking  strangers,  and  cut  a  piece  off  their  painted 
bodies,  to  convince  the  affrighted  natives  that  the  objects  of 
their  alarm  were  only  bits  of  coloured  wood.  Many,  how- 
ever, thought  themselves  too  wise  to  be  thus  easily  deceived. 
Though  perfectly  convinced  of  the  egregrious  folly  of  be- 
lieving that  the  little  listto^  "  carved  ones,"  would  one  day 
seize  them  by  the  throat  in  the  sanctuary,  they  nevertheless 
continued  to  suspect,  that  the  motives  of  the  missionary 
were  anything  but  disinterested. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

For  more  than  a  year  numerous  and  strange  reports  had 
at  intervals  reached  us,  some  indeed  of  such  a  character  as 
induced  us  to  treat  them  as  the  reveries  of  a  madman.  It 
was  said  that  a  mighty  woman,  of  the  name  of  Mantatee, 
was  at  the  head  of  an  invincible  army,  numerous  as  the 
locusts,  marching  onward  among  the  interior  nations,  carry- 
ing devastation  and  ruin  wherever  she  went ;  that  she 
nourished  the  army  with  her  own  milk,  sent  out  hornets 
before  it,  and,  in  one  word,  was  laying  the  world  desolate. 
Concluding  that  these  might  be  only  rumours  of  a  destruc- 
tive war  carrying  on  by  Chaka,  the  tyrant  of  the  Zoolus, 
and  that  he  was  at  too  great  a  distance  from  us  to  affect 
our  operations,  I  resolved  on  a  journey  which  I  had  been 
contemplating  for  some  months.  This  was  to  visit  Makaba, 
the  chief  of  the  Bauangketsi,  a  powerful  tribe,  situated 
upwards  of  two  hundred  miles  north-east  of  Lithako.  I  had 
various  reasons  for  taking  this  step.  The  Batlapis,  and  the 
neighbouring  tribes  were  living  in  constant  dread  of  an 
attack  from  so  powerful  an  enemy,  of  whom  they  could 
never  speak  without  stigmatizing  him  with  the  most  oppro- 


OPPOSITION   TO   THE    AUTHOr's   JOURNEY.  231 

brious  epithets.  It  was  desirable  to  open  up  a  friendly 
intercourse  to  prevent  hostilities,  and  it  seemed  advisable  for 
nie  to  attend  more  exclusively  to  the  acquirement  of  the 
language,  by  associating,  for  awhile,  with  the  natives,  when, 
at  the  same  time,  an  opportunity  was  thus  afforded  of 
becoming  better  acquainted  with  the  localities  of  the  tribes, 
and,  in  addition  to  these  objects,  was  the  ultimate  design  of 
introducing  the  Gospel  among  that  interesting  people. 

About  this  time  receiving  an  invitation  from  Makaba,  the 
path  of  duty  was  plain  ;  but  Mothibi,  and  indeed  all  the 
people,  were  greatly  opposed  to  my  design.  Every  thing 
injurious  to  the  character  of  the  Bauangketsi  was  raked  up 
and  placed  before  me.  All  the  imaginary  and  real  mur- 
ders Makaba  had  ever  committed  were  set  in  array,  and 
every  one  swore  by  their  king  and  their  fathers,  that  if  I 
M'ent  my  doom  was  fixed,  for  I  should  never  return,  and 
therefore  Ma-Mary  and  tlie  two  children  might  leave  and 
return  to  our  friends  in  England,  for  she  would  never  see 
me  again.  We,  with  Mr.  Hamilton,  had  deliberated  to- 
gether, and  prayed  over  the  subject,  and  were  not  dismayed 
by  their  representations.  When  the  day  arrived  for  my  de- 
parture, Mothibi,  finding  he  could  not  prevail  by  arguments, 
positively  forbade  those  under  his  control  to  accompany  me. 
Feeling  no  inclination  to  give  up  my  intention,  1  started 
with  such  men  as  I  had.  On  reaching  Old  Lithako,  on  the 
third  day,  I  found  the  reports  about  the  Mantatees  somewhat 
revived,  and  the  natives  strongly  advised  me  to  proceed  no 
farther  than  Nokaneng,  about  twenty  miles  distant.  The 
reports  being  such  as  we  had  heard  before,  and  knowing  that 
they  wished,  by  every  means,  to  intimidate  me,  I  proceeded 
on  the  following  day,  after  having  preached  to  a  great  num- 
ber of  the  natives.  On  arriving  at  Nokaneng,  I  found  that 
rumours  had  reached  that  place  that  the  Barolongs,  at  Ku- 
nuana,  about  one  hundred  miles  off,  had  been  also  attacked, 
and  the  towns  were  in  the  hands  of  the  marauders;  but  as 
spies  had  been  sent  out  to  ascertain  the  truth,  I  remained, 
employing  every  opportunity  afforded  to  impart  instruction. 
The  spies  returning  without  having  heard  anything  of  the 
reported  invader.s,  I  proceeded,  with  my  small  company, 
towards  the  Bauangketsi  tribes.  After  travelling  four  days 
over  a  dry  and  trackless  part  of  the  country,  occasionally 
meeting  with  a  few  of  the  poor  Bechuanas,  we  came  to  a 
fine  valley,  Mosite,  in  which  were  some  pools,  and  plenty  of 
game,  especially  the  rhinoceros.  Having  shot  one  of  these 
ponderous  animals,  we  halted  a  day  to  prepare  the  meat,  by 


232  THE   HUNTED   KHAMA. 

cutting  it  up  into  slices,  and  hangino^  it  in  the  sun  to  dry. 
One  would  have  been  more  than  sufficient  for  our  company  ; 
and  it  M^as  only  at  the  urgent  request  of  the  poor  people  that 
a  couple  more  were  shot,  as  they  very  rarely  succeed  in 
Idlling  such  animals,  except  it  be  in  a  pit-fall. 

During  our  stay  at  this  place  a  circumstance  occurred 
which  may  throw  some  light  on  the  habits  of  these  people, 
and  confirms  the  old  adage,  "  that  the  one-half  of  the  world 
does  not  know  how  the  other  half  lives."  It  was  at  noon- 
day when -a  fine  large  hartebeest  (khama  of  the  Bechuanas,) 
the  swiftest  of  tlie  antelope  species,*  darted  close  past  the 
wagon,  and  descended  towards  the  extensive  valley.  Startled 
by  so  unusual  an  occurrence,  one  of  the  natives  called  out, 
"  It  is  the  wild  dogs  ;"  and  presently  the  whole  pack  made 
their  appearance,  following  their  leader,  which  was  pursu- 
ing the  antelope.  We  seized  our  guns  to  attack  them  as 
beasts  of  prey.  The  poor  people  who  were  sitting  around 
their  flesh-pots  started  up  and  followed,  begging  of  us  most 
earnestly  not  to  kill  the  wild  dogs,  for  they  were  their  pro- 
viders. We  of  course  laid  down  our  guns  again,  and  directed 
our  attention  to  the  khama,  which  was  soon  overtaken  and 
seized  by  the  hind  leg.  It  turned  round  to  defend  itself, 
and  then  started  ofl*  till  again  seized  by  the  wild  dog.  As 
we  had  in  a  measure  retarded  the  speed  of  the  pack,  about 
thirty  in  number,  the  single  dog  was  engaged  baiting  the 
khama  looked  round  and  gave  a  piteous  howl  for  his  com- 
panions to  come  to  his  assistance.  When  they  overtook  the 
poor  animal  they  fell  upon  it  with  one  accord,  and  instantly 
brought  it  to  the  ground.  One  of  my  men  ran  ofl'  in  order 
to  secure  a  piece  of  the  skin  of  which  he  wanted  to  make 
shoes,  but  by  the  time  he  reached  the  spot,  nothing  remained 
but  bones,  and  those  well  picked.  These  the  poor  people 
afterwards  collected  for  the  sake  of  the  marrow.  On  farther 
inquiry,  I  found  that  these  people  are  in  the  habit,  when 
they  see  an  antelope,  or  even  an  ostrich,  pursued  by  the  wild 
dogs,  of  endeavouring  to  frighten  them  away,  that  they  may 
come  in  for  a  share  of  the  prey.  One  of  the  men,  with  much 
feeling  for  himself  and  companions,  said,  patting  his  hand 

*  "  The  hartehcest  is  one  of  the  finest  animals  of  the  antelope  family; 
it  is  fleet,  and  graceful  in  its  gait.  The  male  is  about  seven  feet  long, 
and  five  feet  high,  with  handsome  recurvated  horns  growing  from  ap- 
proximated bases.  The  female  is  of  a  smaller  size.  The  flesn  is  good, 
and  bears  a  considerable  resemblance  to  beef" — Pringle.  There  are  im- 
mense herds  of  these  animals  in  the  interior,  and  generally  of  a  larger 
size  than  the  above. 


233 

on  his  stomacVi,  "  Oh,  t  am  glad  you  did  not  shoot  the  dogs, 
for  they  often  find  us  a  meal." 

At  another  place  the  poor  people  were  very  glad,  on  the 
same  account,  that  we  had  not  killed  the  lion,  which  had 
been  troublesome  to  us  during  the  night.  These  children  of 
the  desert  very  promptly  described  the  manner  of  the  wild- 
dog  chase,  which  I  have  since  had  opportunities  of  witness- 
ing. When  the  dogs  approach  a  troop  of  antelopes,  they  se- 
lect one,  no  matter  how  it  may  mingle  with  others  on  the 
dusty  plain  ;  the  dog  that  starts  never  loses  scent,  or,  if  he 
does,  it  is  soon  discovered  by  the  pack,  which  follow  after,  as 
they  spread  themselves  the  more  readily  to  regain  it.  While 
the  single  dog  who  takes  the  lead  has  occasion  to  make  an- 
gles in  pursuit  of  his  prey,  the  others,  who  hear  his  cry  or 
short  howl,  avoid  a  circuitous  course,  and  by  this  means 
easily  come  up  again,  when  a  fresh  dog  resumes  the  chase, 
and  the  other  turns  into  the  pack.  In  this  way  they  relieve 
each  other  till  they  have  caught  the  animal,  which  they 
rarely  fail  to  accomplish,  though  sometimes  after  a  very  long 
run.  Should  they  in  their  course  happen  to  pass  other  game 
much  nearer  than  the  one  in  pursuit,  they  take  no  notice  of 
it.  These  dogs,  of  which  there  are  two  species,  never  at- 
tack man,  but  are  very  destructive  to  sheep  and  goats,  and 
even  to  cows,  when  they  come  in  their  way. 

While  these  things  were  going  on  we  were  on  the  alert, 
and  made  inquiries  of  every  stranger  we  met  about  the  in- 
vaders, but  could  learn  nothing,  although  we  were  not  more 
than  fifteen  miles  from  the  town,  of  which  it  was  reported 
the  enemy  were  in  possession.  We  saw,  on  a  distant  height, 
some  men  who  were  evidently  looking  our  way,  and  their 
not  approaching  our  wagons  was  so  unusual  with  hungry  na- 
tives, that  we  thought  they  must  be  strangers  from  a  great 
distance,  or  some  of  the  Mantatees.  Two  days  passed  over, 
and  on  the  next,  when  we  were  about  to  start  for  the  Bauang- 
ketsi,  two  Barolongs  passing  by,  informed  us  of  the  iact  that 
the  Mantatees  were  in  possession  of  the  town,  which  lay 
rather  in  our  rear,  behind  sonrie  heights,  which  we  distinctly 
saw.  As  one  of  these  men  had  narrowly  escaped  with  his 
life  in  the  conflict  with  that  people,  no  doubt  was  left  in  our 
minds  as  to  the  propriety  of  returning  immediately  to  the 
place  whence  we  had  come,  particularly  as  there  was  a  pro- 
bability that  our  course  might  be  intercepted,  some  prisoners 
who  had  escaped  having  reported  that  the  enemy  were  about 
to  start  for  Lithako.  We  lost  no  time  in  returning  to  Noka- 
neng,  and  were  met  there  by  individuals  who  authenticated 

20* 


234  PROCEED   TO   GRIQUA   TOWN. 

my  report  to  some  thousands,  who  were  pleasing  themselves 
with  the  idea  that  there  was  no  such  enemy.  When  I  ar- 
rived at  our  station  the  fearful  news  spread  rapidly,  A  pub- 
lic meeting  was  convened,  and  the  principal  men  met,  to 
whom  I  gave  a  circumstantial  account  of  all  the  information 
I  had  gathered  respecting  the  character  and  progress  of  the 
Mantatees.  That  they  were  really  a  numerous  and  power- 
ful body,  had  destroyed  many  towns  of  the  Bakone  tribes, 
slaughtered  immense  numbers  of  people,  laid  Kurrechane  in 
ruins,  scattered  the  Barolongs,  and,  in  addition,  were  said  to 
be  cannibals !  The  alarming  tidings  produced  at  first  a 
gloom  on  every  countenance,  and  when  I  had  finished  speak- 
ing, a  profound  silence  reigned  for  some  minutes.  Mothibi 
then  replied  in  the  name  of  the  assembly,  that  he  was  ex- 
ceedingly thankful  that  I  had  been  tlogo  e  ihata,  hard-headed, 
and  pursued  my  journey,  for,  by  so  doing,  I  had  discovered 
to  them  their  danger. 

All  were  now  ready  to  bless  me  for  having  taken  my  own 
way.  They  solicited  counsel,  but  all  I  could  give  was  to 
flee  to  the  Colony,  or  call  in  the  assistance  of  the  Griquas, 
that  as  the  Bechuanas  were  entirely  unable  to  resist  so  nu- 
merous and  savage  a  force  as  the  Mantatees,  I  would  pro- 
ceed instantly  to  Griqua  Town,  give  information,  couA^ey 
their  wishes,  and  obtain  assistance  and  wagons  to  remove 
our  goods  from  the  station.  Some  proposed  fleeing  to  the 
Kalagare  desert,  but  from  this  I  strongly  dissuaded  them, 
fearing  that  many  would  perish  from  want.  As  no  time  was 
to  be  lost,  in  the  absence  of  horses,  I  proceeded  with  my 
wagon  to  Griqua  Town,  where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meet- 
ing, at  Mr.  Melvill's  house,  George  Thompson,  Esq.,  of  Cape 
Town,  who  was  on  a  tour,  and  about  to  visit  Lithako. 

As  soon  as  the  purpose  of  my  embassy  was  communicated, 
Waterboer,  the  chief,  started  off  for  Campbell,  on  horseback, 
to  confer  with  the  people  there,  it  being  the  opinion  of  the 
Griquas  that  if  the  enemy  were  to  be  resisted  at  all,  it  should 
be  done  at  a  distance.  They  promised  to  lose  no  time  in 
coming  to  the  Kuruman  with  a  party,  when  further  delibera- 
tions might  be  made.  Next  morning  I  returned,  accompa- 
nied by  Mr.  Thompson,  and  many  anxious  minds  were  an- 
ticipating the  result  of  my  journey,  the  public  mind  being 
completely  unhinged,  although  no  fresh  tidings  had  arrived 
respecting  the  objects  of  their  terror.  The  resolution  of  the 
Griquas  to  meet  the  enemy  at  a  distance,  gave  entire  satis- 
faction. Orders  were  sent  off  to  the  different  towns  and  vil- 
lages, and  to  the  Batlaros,  that  a  pitsho^  or  parliament,  be 


DRESS   OF   THE   SPEAKERS.  235 

convened  on  the  following  day.  As  subjects  of  great  na- 
tional interest  were  to  be  discussed,  all  were  in  motion  early 
in  the  morning  of  June  13,  1823.  About  10  a.  m.  the  whole 
body  of  armed  men,  amounting  to  about  1000,  came  to  the 
outskirts  of  the  town,  and  returned  again  to  the  public  fold 
or  place  of  assembly,  some  singing  war-songs,  others  en- 
gaged in  mock-fights,  with  all  the  fantastic  gestures  which 
their  wild  imaginations  could  invent.  The  whole  body  took 
their  seats,  lining  the  fold,  leaving  an  arena  in  the  centre  for 
the  speakers. 

A  few  short  extracts  from  some  of  the  speeches  will  serve 
to  show  the  manner  in  which  these  meetings  are  conducted. 
Although  the  whole  exhibits  a  very  grotesque  scene,  busi- 
ness is  carried  on  with  the  most  peri'ect  order.  There  is  but 
little  cheering,  and  still  less  hissing,  while  every  speaker  feai- 
lessly  speaks  his  own  sentiments.  The  audience  is  seated  on 
the  ground,  each  man  having  before  him  his  shield,  to  which 
is  attached  a  number  of  spears.  A  quiver  containing  poisoned 
arrows  is  hung  from  the  shoulder,  and  a  battle-axe  is  held  in 
the  right  hand.  Many  were  adorned  with  tiger-skins,  and 
tails,  and  had  plumes  of  feathers  wavdng  on  their  heads*  In 
the  centre  a  sufficient  space  was  left  for  the  privileged,  those 

*  It  was  natural  to  expect  that,  however  much  the  natives  might 
contemn  our  doctrines,  as  being  in  direct  opposition  to  their  customs, 
and  to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  they  would,  nevertheless,  be  led,  for 
their  own  comfort  and  convenience,  to  adopt  our  plain  and  simple 
modes  of  dress.  Though,  strictly  speaking,  they  were  neither  naked  nor 
obscene  in  their  attire  and  manners,  their  dress,  to  say  the  least,  was  dis- 
gusting. Any  thing  like  an  infringement  on  the  ancient  garb  of  the  na- 
tion, was  looked  on  as  a  caricature  of  ours,  and  therefore  it  appeared  in 
their  eyes,  what  a  man  in  this  country  would  be  with  a  lady's  bonnet  or 
cap  on  his  head — a  merry  Andrew.  Various  articles  of  clothing  were 
sent  from  England  for  the  queen  and  noblesse  of  Lithako;  but  none  of 
these  made  their  appearance.  When  visitors  came,  which  in  those  days 
was  a  rare  thing,  they  would  offer  the  present  of  a  garment,  which  shared 
the  same  fate.  Mahuto,  the  queen,  promised  that  if  Mrs.  M.  would  make 
her  a  dress,  she  would  wear  it.  She  gladly  set  her  needle  to  work.  1'he 
dress  was  presented,  but  that  too  disappeared.  When  the  missionary'.s 
wife  prevailed  on  a  cou|)le  of  girls  to  come  into  the  house  to  nurse,  and 
do  other  little  household  services,  it  required  some  persuasion  to  induce 
them  to  put  on  something  like  a  frock  to  keep  them  from  making  every 
thing  the  greasy  red  colour  of  their  own  bodies.  When  they  returned  in 
the  evening  to  their  homes,  they  would  throw  off  the  temporary  garb, 
however  bright  its  colours,  as  something  filthy  and  disgusting.  An  idea 
may  be  formed  of  the  fantastic  appearance  of  the  natives  in  tiie  absurd 
use  of  some  articles  of  European  dress,  from  the  fact  that  we  observed 
the  king,  while  sitting  among  the  warriors  at  the  meeting,  wearing  a 
white  garment,  but  could  form  no  idea  what  it  was,  until  he  bounded  into 
the  arena,  and,  lo !  it  was  a  chemise!  Whence  it  came,  or  what  became 
of  it  afterwards,  no  one  knew. 


236  THE    OPENING   ADDRESS. 

who  had  killed  an  enemy  in  battle,  to  dance  and  sing,  in 
which  they  exhibited  the  most  violent  and  fantastic  gestures 
conceivable,  which  drew  forth  from  the  spectators  the  most 
clamorous  applause.  When  they  retire  to  their  seats,  the 
speaker  commences,  by  commanding  silence.  "  Be  silent, 
ye  Batlapis.  Be  silent,  ye  Barolongs,"  addressing  each  tribe 
distinctly,  not  excepting  the  white  people,  if  any  happen  to 
be  present,  and  to  which  each  respond  with  a  groan.  He 
then  takes  from  his  shield  a  spear,  and  points  it  in  the  di- 
rection in  which  the  enemy  is  advancing,  imprecating  a  curse 
upon  them,  and  thus  declaring  war,  by  repeatedly  thrusting 
his  spear  in  that  direction,  as  if  plunging  it  into  the  enemy. 
This  receives  a  loud  whistling  sound  of  applause.  He  next 
directs  his  spear  towards  the  Bushmen-country,  south  and 
south-west,  imprecating  also  a  curse  on  those  "  ox-eaters," 
as  they  are  called.  The  king,  on  this,  as  on  all  similar  oc- 
casions, introduced  the  business  of  the  day  by,  "  Ye  sons  of 
Molehabangue," — viewing  all  the  influential  men  present 
as  the  friends  or  allies  of  his  kingdom,  which  rose  to  more 
than  its  former  eminence  under  the  reign  of  that  monarch, 
his  father, — "  the  Mantatees  are  a  strong  and  victorious  peo- 
ple, they  have  overwhelmed  many  nations,  and  they  are  ap- 
proaching to  destroy  us.  We  have  been  apprised  of  their 
manners,  their  deeds,  their  weapons,  and  their  intentions. 
We  cannot  stand  against  the  Mantatees  ;  we  must  now  con- 
cert, conclude,  and  be  determined  to  stand  j  the  case  is  a 
great  one.  You  have  seen  the  interest  the  missionary  has 
taken  in  your  safety  ]  if  we  exert  ourselves  as  he  has  done, 
the  Mantatees  can  come  no  farther.  You  see  the  white 
people  are  our  friends.  You  see  Mr.  Thompson,  a  chief 
man  of  the  Cape,  has  come  to  see  us  on  horseback;  he  has 
not  come  to  lurk  behind  our  houses  as  a  spy,  but  come  openly 
and  with  confidence  ; — his  intentions  are  good  ;  he  is  one  on 
whom  the  light  of  day  may  shine  ;  he  is  our  friend.  I  now 
wait  to  hear  what  the  general  opinion  is.  Let  every  one 
speak  his  mind,  and  then  I  shall  speak  again."  Mothibi 
manoeuvred  his  spear  as  at  the  commencement,  and  then 
pointing  it  towards  heaven,  the  audience  shouted,  "  Piala  " 
(rain,)  on  which  he  sat  down  amidst  a  din  of  applause. 

Between  each  speaker  a  part  or  verse  of  a  war-song  is 
sung ;  the  same  antics  are  then  performed,  and  again  uni- 
versal silence  is  commanded.  The  second  speaker,  Moshume, 
said,  "  To-day  we  are  called  upon  to  oppose  an  enemy  who 
is  the  enemy  of  all.  Mofiat  has  been  near  the  camp  of  the 
enemy ;  we  all  opposed  his  going ;  we  are  to-day  all  glad 


237 

that  he  went ;  he  did  not  listen  to  us,  he  has  warned  us  and 
the  Griquas.  What  are  we  now  to  do  ?  If  we  flee  they 
will  overtake  us :  if  we  fight  they  will  conquer,  they  are  as 
strong  as  a  lion,  they  kill  and  eat,  they  leave  nothing.  (Here 
an  old  man  interrupted  the  speaker,  begging  him  to  roar 
aloud  that  all  might  hear.)  I  know  ye,  Batlapis,"  continued 
Moshume,  "  that  at  home  and  in  the  face  of  women  ye  are 
men,  but  women  in  the  face  of  the  enemy ;  ye  are  ready  to 
run  when  you  should  stand ;  think,  think  and  prepare  your 
hearts  this  day,  be  united  in  one,  make  your  hearts  hard." 
India,  a  Morolong,  commenced  his  speech  by  recommending 
that  the  Batlapis  should  wait  till  the  Mantatees  arrived  and 
then  attack  them ;  he  had  scarcely  said  this,  when  he  was 
interrupted  by  Isite,  a  young  chief,  who  sprang  up,  calling 
out,  "  No,  no  ;  who  called  upon  you  to  speak  foolishness? 
Was  there  ever  a  king  or  chief  of  the  Batlapis  who  said  you 
must  stand  up  and  speak  ?  Do  you  intend  to  instruct  the 
sons  of  Alolehabangue  ?  Be  silent!  You  say  you  know 
the  men,  and  yet  you  wish  us  to  wait  till  they  enter  our  town; 
the  Mantatees  are  conquerors,  and,  if  we  flee,  we  must  lose 
all.  Hear  and  I  will  speak;  let  us  attack  the  enemy  where 
they  are  ;  if  we  retreat,  there  will  be  time  for  those  in  the 
rear  to  flee.  We  may  fight  and  flee,  and  at  last  conquer  ; 
this  we  cannot  do  if  we  wait  till  they  approach  our  town." 
This  speech  was  loudly  cheered,  while  India  silently  sat 
down.  A  chief,  con.siderably  advanced  in  years,  afterwards 
addressed  the  assembly.  "Ye  sons  of  Molehabangue,  ye 
have  now  had  experience  enough  to  convince  you  that  it  is 
your  duty  to  proceed  against  the  Mantatees,  who  liave  no 
object  but  to  steal  and  destroy.  Ye  sons  of  Molehabangue  ! 
ye  sons  of  Molehabangue  !  ye  have  done  well  this  day.  You 
are  now  acting  wisely,  first  to  deliberate  and  then  to  pro- 
ceed :  the  missionary  has  discovered  our  danger  like  the 
rising  sun  after  a  dark  night ;  a  man  sees  the  danger  he  was 
in  when  darkness  shut  his  eyes.  We  must  not  act  like  Be- 
chuanas,  we  mu.st  act  like  Makooas  (white  people.)  Is  this 
our  pitsho  ?  No,  it  is  the  pitsho  of  the  missionary;  therefore 
we  must  speak  and  act  like  Makooas." 

Taisho  arose,  and  having  commanded  silence,  was  re- 
ceived with  reiterated  applause  ;  on  which  an  old  warrior 
rushed  furiously  up  to  him,  and  holding  forth  his  arm,  called 
out,  "Behold  the  man  who  shall  speak  wisdom.  Be  silent, 
be  instructed  ;  a  man,  a  wise  man  has  stood  up  to  speak." 
Taisho  informed  the  preceding  speaker  that  he  was  the  man 
who  charged  his  people  with  desertion  in  time  of  war.    "  Ye 


238  THE  king's  concluding  address. 

cowards,  ye  vagabonds,"  he  exclaimed.  "  deny  the  charge  if 
you  can.  Shall  I  count  up  how  often  you  have  done  so  ? 
Were  I  to  repeat  the  instances,  you  would  decamp  like  a 
chastened  dog,  or  with  shame  place  your  head  between  your 
knees."  Addressing  the  assembly,  he  said,  "  I  do  not  rise 
to-day  to  make  speeches,  I  shall  wait  till  the  day  of  mus- 
tering. I  beseech  you  to  reflect  on  what  is  before  you,  and 
let  the  subject  sink  deep  into  your  hearts,  that  you  may  not 
turn  your  backs  in  the  day  of  battle."  Turning  to  the  king, 
he  said,  "  You  are  too  indifferent  about  the  concerns  of  your 
people  ;  you  are  rolled  up  in  apathy  ;  you  are  now  called 
upon  to  show  that  you  are  a  king  and  a  man." 

When  several  other  speakers  had  delivered  their  senti- 
ments, chiefly  exhorting  to  unanimity  and  courage,  Mothibi 
resumed  his  central  position,  and  after  the  usual  gesticula- 
tions, commanded  silence.  Having  noticed  some  remarks 
of  the  preceding  speakers,  he  added,  "  It  is  evident  that  the 
best  plan  is  to  proceed  against  the  enemy,  that  they  come 
no  nearer ;  let  not  our  towns  be  the  seat  of  war  ;  let  not  our 
houses  be  the  scenes  of  bloodshed  and  destruction.  No!  let 
the  blood  of  the  enemy  be  spilt  at  a  distance  from  our  wives 
and  children."  Turning  to  the  aged  chief,  he  said,  "  1  hear 
you,  my  father ;  I  understand  you,  my  father ;  your  words 
are  true,  they  are  good  for  the  ear ;  it  is  good  that  we  be 
instructed  by  the  Makooas ;  I  wish  those  evil  who  will  not 
obey;  I  wish  that  they  may  be  broken  in  pieces."  Then 
addressing  the  warriors,  "  There  are  many  of  you  who  do 
not  deserve  to  eat  out  of  a  bowl,  but  only  out  of  a  broken 
pot ;  think  on  what  has  been  said,  and  obey  without  mur- 
muring, 1  command  you,  ye  chiefs  of  the  Batlapis,  Batla- 
ros,  Bamairis,  Barolongs,  and  Bakotus,  that  you  acquaint  all 
your  tribes  of  the  proceedings  of  this  day  ;  let  none  be  igno- 
rant ;  I  say  again,  ye  warriors  prepare  for  the  battle ;  let 
your  shields  be  strong,  your  quivers  full  of  arrows,  and  your 
battle  axes  as  sharp  as  hunger."  "  Be  silent,  ye  Kidney- 
eaters,"*  (addres.sing  the  old  men,)  "ye  who  are  of  no 
farther  use  but  to  hang  about  for  kidneys  when  an  ox  is 
slaughtered.  If  your  oxen  are  taken,  where  will  you  get 
any  more?"  Turning  to  the  women,  he  said,  "  Prevent  not 
the  warrior  from  going  out  to  battle  by  your  cunning  insin- 
uations. No,  rouse  the  warrior  to  glory,  and  he  will  return 
with  honourable  scars,  fresh  marks  of  valour  will  cover  his 

♦  Kidneys  are  eaten  only  by  the  aged,  and  young  people  will  not  taste 
them  on  any  account,  from  the  superstitious  idea  that  they  can  have  no 
children  if  they  do  so. 


THE   GRIQUAS   ARRIVE.  239 

tlilffhs,  and  we  sliall  then  renew  the  war-song  and  dance, 
and  relate  the  story  of  our  conquest."  At  the  conclusion  of 
this  speech  the  air  was  rent  with  acclamations,  the  whole 
assembly  occasionally  joining  in  the  dance  ;  the  women 
frequently  taking  the  weapons  from  the  hands  of  the  men 
and  brandishing  them  in  the  most  violent  manner,  people  of 
all  ages  using  the  most  extravagant  and  frantic  gestures  for 
nearly  two  hours. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

During  the  interval  of  eleven  days  which  elapsed  before 
assistance  could  arrive  from  Griqua  Town,  very  great  unea- 
siness prevailed  on  the  station,  and  most  of  our  heavy  goods 
were  packed  and  buried,  that  we  might  not  be  encumbered 
should  flight  become  inevitable.*  As  it  had  been  frequently 
reported  that  there  were  white  men  among  the  invaders, 
when  the  commando,  consisting  of  about  a  hundred  horse- 
men, arrived,  it  was  the  general  opinion  that  I  ought  to  ac- 
company them  ;  as,  having  some  knowledge  of  the  language, 
my  presence  might  have  more  influence  in  bringing  about  a 
treaty  ;  and  Mr.  Melvill,  government  agent  at  Griqua  Town, 
having  arrived  with  the  intention  of  accompanying  the 
commando,  we  started  on  the  following  day.  Before  leav- 
ing, we  all  met  to  pray  for  divine  counsel,  which  we  felt 
we  greatly  needed.  The  future  appeared  dark  and  por- 
tentous, and  we  were  convinced  that  nothing  but  an  Al- 
mighty power  could  preserve  the  country  from  an  impending 

♦  Mr.  Thompson,  who,  with  a  guide,  reconnoitred  the  movements  of 
the  Mantatees  whom  he  witnessed  entering  Old  Lithako,  returned  to  the 
colony  to  give  information  of  the  near  approach  of  so  powerful  an  enemy. 
He  had  taken  the  liveliest  interest  in  the  whole  alTair  as  well  as  in  the 
Welfare  of  the  mission,  which  endeared  him  not  only  to  us,  but  to  the 
natives,  who  had  very  characteristically  described  him  as  a  "man  on 
whom  the  light  of  day  might  shine.  His  kind  and  generous  disposition 
sympathised  with  us  in  our  anxieties  and  troubles,  which  at  the  same 
time  afforded  him  opportunities  of  forming  a  correct  estimate  of  our  real 
situation  and  danger,  which  he  has  so  well  described  in  his  "  Travels," 
long  before  the  public. 


240  APPALLING   SIGHTS. 

ruin,  by  arresting  the  progress  of  those  whose  feet  were 
swift  to  shed  blood.  A  blessing  on  the  means  of  preventing 
its  further  effusion  was  earnestly  implored,  and  if  recourse 
must  be  had  to  violent  measures,  that  the  heads  of  those 
engaged  might  be  shielded  in  the  day  of  battle. 

Having  bivouacked  at  the  Matluarin  River,  Waterboer, 
the  Griqua  chief,  I,  and  a  few  others,  mounted  our  horses, 
after  dark,  rode  forward  for  about  four  hours,  and  then  halted 
among  some  trees  till  morning.  At  day-break  we  again 
proceeded  till  we  came  within  sight  of  the  enemy,  who  were 
lying  a  short  distance  south  of  the  town  of  Lithako.  A 
second  and  more  numerous  division  occupied  the  town  itself 
Our  first  impressions  were,  on  seeing  an  immense  black  sur- 
face on  the  opposite  declivity,  from  which  many  small 
columns  of  smoke  were  arising,  that  the  bushes  and  grass 
had  been  set  on  fire  during  the  night  •  but  on  closer  inspec- 
tion were  startled  to  find  it  the  camp  of  one  portion  of  the 
enemy  containing  a  mass  of  human  beings.  As  we  drew 
nearer,  we  saw  that  we  were  discovered,  and  considerable 
confusion  prevailed.  The  war  axes  and  brass  ornaments 
could  be  distinctly  seen  glittering  in  the  sun. 

Waterboer  and  I  rode  up  to  a  young  woman  whom  we 
saw  in  one  of  the  ravines.  In  reply  to  our  question,  made 
in  the  Bechuana  language,  she  said  that  the  invaders  had 
come  from  a  distant  country,  but  would  give  no  farther  in- 
formation. She  was  gathering  the  pods  of  the  acacia,  and 
eating  them  ;  which,  as  well  as  her  appearance  indicated 
the  most  extreme  want.  Having  told  her  who  we  were, 
and  that  our  object  was  to  speak  to  the  people,  and  not  to 
fight,  we  gave  her  some  food,  and  a  piece  ol"  tobacco, — re- 
questing her  to  go  and  apprise  them  of  our  wishes.  We 
then  advanced  within  two  musket  shots  of  the  enemy,  where 
we  found,  reclining  under  a  small  rock,  an  old  man  and  his 
son  ;  the  latter  without  the  least  signs  of  animation,  while 
the  father  could  scarcely  articulate  that  he  too  was  dying  from 
hunger.  We  could  only  learn  from  this  object  of  pity,  that 
the  people  to  whom  he  belonged  were  the  common  enemy 
so  much  dreaded.  We  remained  here  for  about  half  an 
hour,  to  allow  the  young  woman  ample  time  to  inform  the 
main  body,  and  at  the  same  time  to  convince  the  enemy  we 
were  not  ai'raid  of  them,  nor  disposed  to  injure  them.  In 
the  mean  time  we  despatched  one  of  our  men  to  give  infor- 
mation to  the  commando,  who  were  about  twenty  miles  be- 
hind. On  looking  around  in  search  of  water,  we  saw  the 
dead  bodies  (reduced  to  skeletons)  of  several  of  the  enemy, 


NARROW    ESCAPE.  241 

who  had  come  to  the  pool  to  drink,  and  there  expired ;  one 
lying  partly  in  the  element  with  wliich  we  had  to  quench 
our  thirst.  While  standing,  we  observed  that  all  the  cattle 
were  collected  and  inclosed  in  the  centre  of  the  multitude. 
No  one  came  near  us,  except  a  few  warriors,  who,  in  a 
threatening  attitude,  dared  our  approach,  hut  whose  spears 
fell  short  of  the  mark.  It  had  been  agreed  that  one  of  our 
number,  and  I,  after  advancing  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  enemy,  should  dismount,  and  go  forward  unarmed,  and 
invite  two  or  three  of  them  to  come  and  speak  with  us. 
This  plan,  however,  was  entirely  defeated.  We  had  all 
just  approached  within  a  hundred  yards,  and  two  of  us  were 
just  about  leaving  our  saddles,  when  the  savages  uttered  a 
hedious  yell ;  and  I  had  hardly  time  to  say,  "  Be  upon  your 
guard,  they  are  preparing  to  attack,"  when  several  hundred 
armed  men  rushed  forward  in  a  furious  manner,  throwing 
their  weapons  with  such  velocity,  that  we  had  scarcely  time 
to  turn  our  terrified  steeds,  and  gallop  clear  of  them.  Hav- 
ing retreated  a  few  hundred  yards,  we  stopped,  and  stood 
perfectly  astonished  at  their  savage  fury.  Seeing  no  possible 
means  of  bringing  them  to  a  parley,  we  retired  to  a  height 
at  a  short  distance,  but  within  view  of  the  enemy.  Here 
we  remained  the  whole  day,  and,  to  supply  our  wants,  shot 
two  khoris^  called  by  the  colonists  wild  peacock,  a  species  of 
bustard,  which  we  very  thankfully  roasted  and  ate.  We,  at 
a  very  great  risk,  sent  the  horses  to  the  water, — all  to  in- 
spire confidence  in  the  Mantatees,  that  some  one  might  be 
influenced  to  draw  near, — but  none  approached.  At  sunset 
I  left  Waterboer  and  the  scouts,  and  rode  back,  to  confer 
with  Mr.  Melvill  and  the  other  Griqua  chiefs,  and  to  devise 
some  scheme  to  bring  the  enemy  to  terms  of  peace,  and  pre- 
vent, if  possible,  the  dreadful  consequences  of  a  battle.  The 
Griquas  had  come,  headed  by  their  respective  chiefs,  Adam 
Kok,  Berend  Berend,  Andries  Waterboer,  and  Cornelius 
Kok  ;  but  it  was  unanimously  agreed  that  Waterboer  should 
take  the  command.  Cornelius,  nobly  and  generously,  in- 
sisted on  my  taking  his  best  horse,  urging  that  my  life  was 
far  more  valuable  than  his.  This  kind  act  was  the  more 
sensibly  felt  as  the  horse  was  one  of  the  strongest  in  the 
commando  ;  and  but  for  this  circumstance,  I  could  not  have 
done  what  I  did,  nor,  humanly  speaking,  could  I  have  es- 
caped with  my  life. 

Having  spent  an  almost  sleepless  night  on  the  plain,  from 
extreme  cold,  we  were  all  in  motion  next  morning  before 
daylight.     The  attempt  made   the  preceding  day  to  bring 

21 


242  THE   BATTLE    COMMENCED. 

about  a  friendly  communication  having  entirely  failed,  it  was 
judged  expedient  for  the  commando  to  ride  up  to  the  invad- 
ers, hoping  from  the  imposing  appearance  of  about  one 
hundred  horsemen,  to  intimidate  them,  and  bring  them  to  a 
parley.  For  this  purpose,  the  commando  approached  with- 
in 1 50  yards,  with  a  view  to  beckon  some  one  to  come  out. 
On  this  the  enemy  commenced  their  terrible  howl,  and  at 
once  discharged  their  clubs  and  javelins.  Their  black  dis- 
mal appearance,  and  savage  fury,  with  their  hoarse  and 
stentorian  voices,  were  calculated  to  daunt ;  and  the  Gri- 
quas,  on  their  first  attack,  wisely  retreated  to  a  short  di.s- 
tance,  and  again  drew  up.  Waterboer,  the  chief,  commenced 
firing,  and  levelled  one  of  their  warriors  to  the  ground  ; 
several  more  instantly  shared  the  same  fate.  It  was  confi- 
dently expected  that  their  courage  would  be  daunted  when 
they  saw  their  warriors  fall  by  an  invisible  w^eapon  ;  and  it 
was  hoped  they  would  be  humbled  and  alarmed,  that  thus 
farther  bloodshed  might  be  prevented.  Though  they  beheld 
with  astonishment  the  dead,  and  the  stricken  warriors  writh- 
ing in  the  dust,  they  looked  with  lion-like  fierceness  at  the 
horsemen,  and  yelled  vengeance,  violently  wrenching  the 
weapons  from  the  hands  of  their  dying  companions,  to  sup- 
ply those  that  they  had  discharged  at  their  antagonists. 
Sufficient  intervals  were  afforded,  and  every  encouragement 
held  out  for  them  to  make  proposals,  but  all  was  ineffectual. 
They  sallied  forth  with  increased  vigour,  so  as  to  oblige  the 
Griquas  to  retreat,  tliough  only  to  a  short  distance,  for  they 
never  attempted  to  pursue  above  two  hundred  yards  from 
their  camp.  The  firing,  though  without  any  order,  was  very 
destructive,  as  each  took  a  steady  aim.  Many  of  their  chief 
men  fell  victims  to  their  own  temerity,  after  manifesting  un- 
daunted spirit.  Again  and  again  the  chiefs  and  Mr.  Melvill 
met  to  deliberate  on  how  to  act,  to  prevent  bloodshed  among 
a  people  who  determined  to  die  rather  than  flee,  which  they 
could  easily  have  done. 

Soon  after  the  battle  commenced,  the  Bechuanas  came 
up,  and  united  in  playing  on  the  enemy  with  poisoned  ar- 
rows, but  they  were  soon  driven  back  ;  half-a-dozen  of  the 
fierce  Mantatees  made  the  whole  body  scamper  off' in  wild 
disorder.  After  two  hours  and  a  half's  combat,  the  Griquas, 
finding  their  ammunition  fast  diminishing,  at  the  almost  cer- 
tain risk  of  loss  of  life,  began  to  storm ;  when  the  enemy 
gave  way,  taking  a  westerly  direction.  The  horsemen, 
however,  intercepted  them,  when  they  immediately  descend- 
ed towards  the  ravine,  as  if  determined  not  to  return  by  the 


JjU.      THE   ENEMY   FLEE,  243 

way  they  came,  which  they  crossed,  but  were  again  inter- 
cepted. On  turning  round,  they  seemed  desperate,  but  were 
soon  repulsed.  Great  confusion  now  prevailed,  the  ground 
being  very  stony,  which  rendered  it  difficult  to  manage  the 
horses.  At  this  moment  an  awful  scene  was  presented  to 
the  view.  The  undulating  country  around  was  covered  with 
warriors,  all  in  motion,  so  that  it  was  difficult  to  say  who 
were  enemies  or  who  were  friends.  Clouds  of  dust  were 
rising  from  the  immense  masses,  who  appeared  flying  with 
terror,  or  pursuing  with  fear.  To  the  alarming  confusion 
was  added  the  bellowing  of  oxen,  the  vociferations  of  the  yet 
unvanquished  warriors,  mingled  with  the  groans  of  the  dying, 
and  the  widows'  piercing  wail,  and  the  cries  from  infant 
voices.  The  enemy  then  directed  their  course  towards  the 
town,  which  was  in  possession  of  a  tribe  of  the  same  people, 
still  more  numerous.  Here  again  another  desperate  strug- 
gle ensued,  when  they  appeared  determined  to  inclose  the 
horsemen  witliin  the  smoke  and  flames  of  the  houses,  through 
which  they  were  slowly  passing,  giving  the  enemy  time  to 
escape.  At  last,  seized  with  despair,  they  fled  precipitately. 
It  had  been  observed  during  the  fight  that  some  women 
went  backward  and  forward  to  the  town,  only  about  half  a 
mile  distant,  apparently  with  the  most  perfect  indifference 
to  their  fearful  situation.  While  the  commando  was  strug- 
gling between  hope  and  despair  of  being  able  to  route  the 
enemy,  information  was  brought  that  the  half  of  the  enemy 
under  Chuane  were  reposing  in  the  town,  within  sound  of 
the  guns,  perfectly  regardless  of  the  fate  of  the  other  division, 
under  the  command  of  Karaganye.  It  was  supposed  they 
possessed  entire  confidence  in  the  yet  invincible  army  of  the 
latter,  being  the  more  warlike  of  the  two.  Humanly  speak- 
ing, had  both  parties  been  together,  the  day  would  have 
been  lost,  when  they  would,  with  perfect  ease,  have  carried 
devastation  into  the  centre  of  the  colony.  When  both  par- 
ties were  united,  they  set  fire  to  all  parts  of  the  town,  and 
appeared  to  be  taking  their  departure,  proceeding  in  an  im- 
mense body  towards  the  north.  If  their  number  may  be 
calculated  by  the  space  of  ground  occupied  by  the  entire 
body,  it  must  have  amounted  to  upwards  of  forty  thousand. 
The  Griquas  pursued  them  about  eight  miles;  and  though 
they  continued  desperate,  they  seemed  filled  with  terror  at 
the  enemies  by  whom  they  had  been  overcome. 

As  soon  as  they  had  retired  from  the  spot  where  they  had 
been  encamped,  the  Bechuanas,  like  voracious  wolves,  be- 
gan to  plunder  and  despatch  the  wounded  men,  and  to 


244  THE   WOMEN   AND    CHILDREN. 

butcher  the  women  and  children  with  their  spears  and  war- 
axes.  As  fighting  was  not  my  province,  of  course  I  avoided 
discharging  a  single  shot,  though,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Mel- 
vill  and  the  chiefs,  I  remained  with  the  commando,  as  the 
only  means  of  safety.  Seeing  the  savage  ferocity  of  the 
Bechuanas,  in  killing  the  inoffensive  women  and  children, 
for  the  sake  of  a  few  paltry  rings,  or  of  being  able  to  boast 
that  they  had  killed  some  of  the  Mantatees,  I  turned  my  at- 
tention to  these  objects  of  pity,  who  M^ere  flying  in  conster- 
nation in  all  directions.  By  my  galloping  in  among  them, 
many  of  the  Bechuanas  were  deterred  from  their  barbarous 
purposes.  It  was  distressing  to  see  mothers  and  infants 
rolled  in  blood,  and  the  living  babe  in  the  arms  of  a  dead 
mother.  All  ages  and  both  sexes  lay  prostrate  on  the  ground. 
Shortly  after  they  began  to  retreat,  the  women,  seeing  that 
mercy  was  shown  them,  instead  of  flying,  generally  sat  down, 
and,  baring  their  bosoms,  exclaimed,  "  I  am  a  woman,  I  am 
a  woman  !"  It  seemed  impossible  for  the  men  to  yield. 
There  were  several  instances  of  wounded  men  being  sur- 
rounded by  fifty  Bechuanas,  but  it  was  not  till  life  was  al- 
most extinct  that  a  single  one  would  allow  himself  to  be  con- 
quered. I  saw  more  than  one  instance  of  a  man  fighting 
boldly,  with  ten  or  twelve  spears  and  arrows  fixed  in  his 
body.  The  cries  of  infants  which  had  fallen  from  the  breasts 
of  their  mothers,  who  had  fled  or  were  slain,  were  distinctly 
heard,  while  many  of  the  women  appeared  thoughtless  as  to 
their  dreadful  .situation.  Several  times  I  narrowly  escaped 
the  spears  and  war-axes  of  the  wounded,  while  busy  in  res- 
cuing the  women  and  children.  The  men,  struoforlinor  with 
death,  would  raise  themselves  from  the  ground,  and  discharge 
their  weapons  at  any  one  of  our  nimiber  within  their  reach: 
their  ho.stile  and  revengeful  spirit  only  ceased  when  life  was 
extinct.  Contemplating  this  deadly  conflict,  we  could  not 
but  admire  the  mercy  of  God,  that  not  one  of  our  number 
was  killed,  and  only  one  slightly  wounded.  One  Bechuana 
lost  his  life  while  too  eagerly  seeking  for  plunder.  The  slain 
of  the  enemy  was  between  four  and  five  hundred. 

The  Mantatees  are  a  tall,  robust  people,  in  features  re- 
sembling the  Bechuanas;  their  dress  consisting  of  prepared 
ox  hides,  hanging  double  over  the  shoulders.  The  men 
during  the  engagement  w^ere  nearly  naked,  having  on  their 
heads  a  round  cockade  of  black  ostrich  feathers.  Their  or- 
naments were  large  copper  rings,  sometimes  eight  in  num- 
ber, worn  round  their  necks,  with  numerous  arm,  leg,  and 
ear,  rings  of  the  same  material.     Their  weapons  were  war- 


DESCRIPTION   OF   THE    MANTATEES.  245 

axes  of  various  shapes,  spears,  and  clubs  ;  into  many  of  their 
knob-sticks  were  inserted  pieces  of  iron  resembhng  a  sickle, 
but  more  curved,  sometimes  to  a  circle,  and  sharp  on  the 
outside.  Their  language  was  only  a  dialect  of  the  Sechu- 
ana,  as  I  understood  them  nearly  as  well  as  the  people 
among  whom  I  lived.  They  appeared  more  rude  and  bar- 
barous than  the  tribes  around  us,  the  natural  consequences 
of  the  warlike  life  they  had  led.  They  were  suffering  dread- 
fully from  want ;  even  in  the  heat  of  battle,  the  poorer  class 
seized  pieces  of  meat  and  devoured  them  raw.  At  the  close 
of  the  battle,  when  Mr.  Melvill  and  I  had  collected  m.any 
women  and  children,  and  were  taking  them  to  a  place  of 
safety,  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  we  could  get  them 
forward.  They  willingly  followed  till  they  found  a  piece  of 
meat,  which  had  been  thrown  away  in  the  flight,  when 
nearly  all  would  halt  to  tear  and  devour  it,  though  perfectly 
raw.  Some  of  the  prisoners  were  so  extremely  weak  as  to 
oblige  us  to  leave  them  behind.  We  learned  from  others 
that  the  Mantatees  had  intended  to  begin  their  march  to- 
wards Kuruman  the  very  day  we  encountered  them,  and 
had  slaughtered  cattle  to  make  themselves  strong.  They 
had  driven  out  the  inhabitants  of  Nokaneng,  ransacked  and 
burnt  that  town,  and  were  about  to  finish  with  Lithako  in 
the  same  manner,  when  "  the  thunder  and  lightning  of  the 
Griquas"  (as  they  termed  the  musketry)  drove  them  back. 

As  my  presence  was  no  longer  required,  either  to  prevent 
bloodshed  or  save  life,  I  returned  to  the  station,  where  Mr. 
Melvill  arrived  two  days  after  with  the  prisoners,  to  whose 
comfort  and  welfare  he  attended  with  unremitting  care.  It 
was  afterwards  deemed  advisable  that  some  of  the  Griquas 
should  go  and  learn  what  direction  the  enemy  had  taken  ; 
but  this  they  declined.  Messrs.  Hamilton  and  Melvill  then 
set  off  with  a  wagon,  to  rescue  the  women  and  children  who 
might  still  survive,  trusting  that  some  of  the  Griquas  would 
follow  with  their  horses,  which  Mr.  M.  offered  to  hire.  Two 
days  after  their  departure  the  report  reached  us,  that,  after 
the  battle,  the  retreating  enemy  had  attacked  and  plundered 
three  different  towns,  and  were  even  threatening  yet  to  visit 
the  Kuruman,  to  revenge  their  loss,  supposing  that  the  horses 
and  guns  being  gone,  the  Bechuanas,  whom  they  considered 
as  the  dust  of  their  feet,  would  be  utterly  unable  to  resist 
them. 

On  receiving  the  above  alarming  information,  I  despatched 
two  men  with  a  letter  to  Messrs.  Hamilton  and  Melvill,  for 
whose  safety  we  now  felt  the  most  trembling  anxiety,  being 

21* 


246  FRESH   ALARMS. 

without  horses,  and  not  a  single  Griqua  having  accompanied 
them.  I  also  sent  off  with  all  speed  a  letter  to  Waterboer, 
pointing  out  the  necessity  of  recalling  his  force.  The  un- 
certainty whether  the  enemy  was  not  in  the  precincts  of  the 
town,  caused  us  to  spend  a  most  uneasy  night.  This  was  a 
night  of  great  anxiety.  Messengers  arrived  announcing  the 
certain  approach  of  the  Mantatees.  It  was  dark  and  dreary. 
The  town,  without  lights  of  any  description,  except  the  few 
embers  of  the  house-fires,  round  which  sat  the  trembling 
families.  Most  of  the  men  were  out  of  doors,  listening  to 
anything  like  an  unusual  sound.  The  dogs  kept  up  inces- 
sant barking.  No  watches  were  set,  no  spies  sent  out. 
There  was  no  inhabitant  between  us  and  the  field  of  battle. 

Ever)'^  one  appeared  afraid  to  move  from  the  spot  where 
he  stood.  A  cry  of  sorrow  was  raised  in  one  part  of  the 
town  which  made  every  heart  palpitate.  It  M^as  the  intelli- 
gence of  one  newly  arrived, — the  melancholv  tale  of  the  pa- 
rent of  a  family  having  been  slain  by  the  Mantatees.  Oc- 
casionally a  chief  would  come  to  our  houses  to  announce  his 
terror.  Imagination  painted  the  town  surrounded  by  a  host 
of  the  enemy,  waiting  the  dawn  of  day  to  commence  a  ge- 
neral massacre.  The  Mantatee  women  in  our  kitchens  and 
outhouses  perceived  the  alarm,  and  looked  on,  or  slept  with 
the  most  perfect  indifference.  Again  and  again  parties  came 
and  knocked  violently  at  our  door,  relating  new  fears — the 
spectres  of  their  feverish  minds.  Mrs.  M.  put  warm  clothes 
on  the  two  sleeping  babes,  in  case  of  being  able  to  escape 
on  foot  towards  the  mountain,  while  I  hung  my  cloak  on  my 
gun  fast  by  the  door,  ready  to  seize  it  for  protection,  in  our 
flight,  from  beasts  of  prey.  A  woman  who  had  the  day  be- 
fore but  scarcely  escaped  the  deadly  weapons  of  the  enemy, 
ran  the  whole  night,  and  on  reaching  the  threshold  of  one 
of  the  houses,  fainted  with  fatigue,  and  fell  to  the  ground. 
On  recovering,  the  first  word  she  articulated  was,  "  The 
Mantatees !"  This  went  through  the  thousands  like  an 
electric  shock.  As  morning  light  drew  near,  the  intensity 
of  feeling  increased  a  hundred-fold.  This  was  a  season  for 
the  exercise  of  prayer,  and  faith  in  the  promises  of  our  God, 
The  name  of  Jehovah  was  to  us  a  strong  tower,  for,  on  lo(jk- 
ing  back  to  that  as  well  as  to  similar  periods,  we  have  often 
wondered  that  our  fears  were  not  greater  than  they  were. 
Happily  the  dawning  morn  dispelled  them. 

As  great  uncertainty  existed  as  to  when  the  Griquas  might 
return,  it  appeared  proper  that  our  wives  and  children  should 
set  off  with  two  wagons  towards  Griqua  Town,  and  remain 


WOMEN    RESCUED.  247 

there  till  affairs  were  a  little  settled;  this  they  did  on  the 
following  day,  and  in  the  evening  Messrs.  H.  and  M.  return- 
ed totally  ignorant  that  danger  was  so  near.  They  had  not 
reached  the  spot  where  the  battle  was  fought,  having  seen, 
footmarks  of  many  men  who  had  apparently  passed  there 
that  morning,  which  deterred  them  from  proceeding  farther. 
They  ran  many  risks  in  venturing  both  by  night  and  day  to 
places  where  they  saw  strangers,  who  might  have  been  arm- 
ed men,  but  who  proved  to  be  women,  some  of  whom  had 
found  their  way  to  a  considerable  distance  south  of  Lithako. 
They  found  some  literally  feasting  on  the  dead  bodies  of 
their  companions.  One  night  they  crept  within  thirty  yards 
oi^  several  groups  of  women,  but  the  possibility  of  men  being 
there  obliged  them  to  return  ;  they  succeeded,  however,  in 
collecting  about  thirty  women  and  children,  A\hom  they 
brought  to  the  Kuruman.  While  we  were  yet  conversing, 
I  received  a  letter  from  Waterboer,  informing  us  that  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  come  to  our  assistance,  having  himself 
received  intelligence  that  an  immense  body  of  Mantatees 
was  coming  down  the  Yellow  and  Mud  rivers  towards  Gri- 
qua  Town,  and  that  as  some  of  the  Griquas  on  the  river  had 
already  taken  flight,  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  returning 
home,  and  advised  us  to  lose  no  time  in  repairing  thither,  as 
the  only  place  of  safety. 

When  we  communicated  our  intention  to  the  natives,  they 
deeply  regretted  our  leaving  them,  and  Mothibi  and  several 
of  his  chiefs,  with  many  women,  came  to  express  their  con- 
cern, though  they  thougiit  the  step  a  reasonable  one. 

Our  families  having  proceeded  the  day  before,  and  the 
people  being  unsettled,  and  scattered,  and  their  most  valu- 
able property  secreted,  they  were  ready  to  flee  at  a  moment's 
warning.  It  was  therefore  with  the  full  consent  of  the  chiefs 
that  we  left,  although  now  it  appeared  we  were  fleeing  into 
danger  instead  of  from  it ;  reports  having  arrived  that  the 
Mantatees  had  fled  entirely,  wliile  at  the  same  time  it  was 
rumoured  that  a  horde  was  coming  down  the  Vaal  river  to- 
wards Griqua  Town.  Mr.  Melvill  and  I  proceeded  on  horse- 
back, leaving  Mr.  Hamilton  to  follow  with  the  Mantatee 
women  and  children. 

When  Mr.  Hamilton  arrived  at  Tlose  Fountain,  two  days' 
journey  south  of  our  station  on  the  Kuruman,  a  circumstance 
occurred  which  may  be  noticed,  were  it  only  to  show  what 
human  beings  are  in  certain  situations.  Halting  at  the 
above  place  in  the  evening,  a  dead  horse  was  found  that  had 
belonged  to  one  of  the  Griquas  and  which  had  been  killed 


248  CRUELTY  OF  THE  BECHUANAS. 

by  the  bite  of  a  serpent.  Next  morning  the  women  fell  on 
the  swollen  and  half  putrid  carcase,  and  began,  like  so  many 
wolves,  to  tear  it  limb  from  limb,  every  one  securing  as  much 
as  she  could  for  herself  Mr.  Hamilton,  who  looked  on  with 
utter  amazement,  advised  them  to  avoid  the  part  where  the 
animal  was  bitten.  To  his  friendly  warning  they  paid  no 
attention  whatever ;  in  the  space  of  about  an  hour  a  total 
dissection  was  effected,  and  every  particle  of  skin,  meat, 
bone,  the  entrails,  and  their  contents,  were  carried  off  Mr. 
H.  was  obliged  to  remain  the  whole  day,  finding  it  abso- 
lutely impossible  to  induce  them  to  leave  the  spot  till  every 
particle  was  devoured,  and  in  the  evening  they  actually 
danced  and  sang  with  joy !  This  will  appear  the  more  as- 
tonishing, as  the  women  were  allowed  a  regular  supply  of 
rations  ;  but  when  people  have  fasted  for  a  year  they  require 
quantities  of  food,  which,  if  mentioned,  would  appear  incre- 
ditable,  and  a  long  period  elapses  before  the  stomach  regains 
its  wonted  tone.  It  would  only  excite  disgust  were  the  writer 
to  describe  sights  of  this  kind  which  he  has  been  compelled 
to  witness.  On  Mr.  H.'s  arrival  at  Griqua  Town,  we  had 
the  mortification  to  hear  that  the  Bechuanas  had  actually 
dug  up  and  stolen  many  of  the  articles  we  had  buried,  in 
the  prospect  of  our  being  driven  away  by  the  Mantatees, 
and  that  our  houses  had  been  broken  into  and  ransacked, 
notwithstanding  Mothibi's  endeavours  to  prevent  what  now 
appeared  to  him  and  his  chiefs  great  ingratitude.  He  gave 
orders  to  the  man  we  left  behind  to  take  care  to  shoot  the 
first  depredator,  but  we  felt  comfortable,  fully  as.sured  that  he 
would  do  no  such  thing. 

In  the  preceding  sketch,  I  have  glanced  but  very  briefly 
at  the  varied  scenes  connected  with  the  mournful  picture  of 
that  day.  It  would  have  been  an  easy  matter  to  give  more 
facts,  but  my  mind  still  shrinks  from  farther  details  of  feats 
of  savage  barbarity,  and  lion-like  ferocity,  which  I  witnessed 
among  the  Mantatee  warriors.  No  less  furious  and  revenge- 
ful was  the  spirit  manifested  by  the  Batlapi  and  other  tribes, 
who  though  the  most  accomplished  cowards,  compared  with 
the  invaders,  showed  that  they  were,  if  less  inured  to  war, 
still  as  cruel  as  those,  who  for  years  had  been  imbruing  their 
hands  in  the  blood  of  thousands.  The  wounded  enemy  they 
baited  with  their  stones,  clubs,  and  spears,  accompanied  with 
yellings  and  countenances  indicative  of  fiendish  joy.  The 
hapless  women  found  no  quarter,  especially  if  they  possessed 
any  thing  like  ornaments  to  tempt  the  cupiJity  of  their  plun- 
derers.    A   few  copper  rings  round  the  neck,  from  which  it 


REVIEW    OF   THE    SUBJECT.  249 

was  difficult  to  take  them,  was  the  signal  for  the  already  up- 
lifted battle-axe  to  sever  the  head  from  the  trunk,  or  the  arm 
from  the  body,  when  the  plunderer  would  grasp  with  a  smile 
his  bleeding  trophies.  Others,  in  order  to  be  able  to  return, 
home  with  the  triumph  of  victors,  would  pursue  the  scream- 
ing boy  or  girl,  and  not  satisfied  with  severing  a  limb  from 
the  human  frame,  would  exhibit  their  contempt  for  the  vic- 
tims of  their  cruel  revenge,  by  seizing  the  head  and  hurling 
it  from  them,  or  kicking  it  to  a  distance. 

The  women  evinced  the  most  entire  indifi^erence  to  the 
objects  of  terror  by  which  they  were  surrounded ;  but  still 
mothers  clung  to  their  infants,  whose  piteous  cries  were  suf- 
ficient to  melt  a  heart  of  stone.  With  all  their  conquests 
and  the  many  thousands  of  cattle  which  they  must  have 
captured,  they  were  dying  from  hunger.  Their  march  for 
hundreds  of  miles  might  have  been  traced  by  human  bones. 
Not  having  seen  horsemen  before,  they  imagined  horse  and 
rider  constituted  only  one  animal ;  but  this,  as  we  afterwards 
heard,  did  not  intimidate  them,  for  their  determination  was 
fixed  on  attacking  the  Colony,  having  heard  that  there  were 
immense  flocks  of  sheep  there.  Had  they  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  Orange  river,  or  the  borders  of  the  Colony, 
where  they  would  most  probably  have  been  defeated,  the 
destruction  of  human  life  would  have  been  even  more  dread- 
ful, as  they  must  have  perished  from  want,  when  retreating 
through  exasperated  thousands  of  the  tribes  they  had  van- 
quished, towards  their  own  country.  Some  of  the  Bechuanas 
were  so  sensible  of  this,  th;^  they  secretly  wished  that  it 
might  be  so,  in  order  that  they  might  satiate  their  vengeance 
on  a  conquered  foe. 

Taking  a  review  of  these  melancholy  scenes,  we  cannot 
help  startling  at  the  dreadful  effects  of  sin.  What  a  train 
of  miseries  mark  the  chequered  scenes  of  man's  short  life  ; 
and  how  peculiarly  appalling  is  the  state  of  degradation  to 
which  tliat  part  of  mankind  is  reduced,  who  inhabit  the  in- 
terior of  Africa !  Imagining  that  annihilation  is  the  common 
lot  of  man,  the  world  is  their  god  ;  to  acquire  the  few  fleet- 
ing and  sensual  enjoyments  it  aflbrds,  they  will  endure  any 
hardship,  break  through  any  tie,  and  with  brutal  enthusiasm 
tear  the  yet  palpitating  heart  from  the  breast  of  their  fallen 
enemy.  Surely  these  facts  are  calculated  to  draw  forth  our 
compassion  towards  them.  What  a  call  for  missionary  ex- 
ertions !  for  nothing  but  Ihe  word  of  inspiration  can  lead  them 
from  "  these  doleful  shades  of  heathenish  gloom." 

It  may  not  be  inappropriate  here  to  introduce  the  follow- 


250  CONCLUDING   REFLECTIONS. 

ing  reflections,  from  the  pens  of  other  writers,  who  had  an 
opportunity  of  perusing  the  whole  of  the  author's  journals 
relative  to  this  affair.  After  making  some  extracts  from  my 
communications  to  the  Directors,  the  editor  of  the  Mission- 
ary Transactions  writes  : 

"  We  cannot  dismiss  the  above  appalling  details  without  making  one 
or  two  observations.  In  the  first  place,  the  dreadful  exhibition  they  pre- 
sent of  the  ferocious  cruelty  and  base  degradation  to  which  the  human 
race  may  be  reduced,  when  destitute  of  the  advantages  of  Christianity 
and  civilization,  affords  a  powerful  argument  for  the  prosecution  of  mis- 
sionary undertakings,  independently  of  all  considerations  relating  to  a 
future  state.  Our  second  observation  is,  that  Christian  missionaries  are 
often  instrumental  in  conferring  im|X)rtant  incidental  benefits  on  the 
countries  and  vicinities  where  they  labour.  In  the  present  case,  a  mis- 
sionary v/as  the  person  who  ascertained  the  approach  of  the  invading 
tribes  in  time  to  procure  help  from  Griqua  Town ;  and  it  was  at  his  call 
that  the  Griquas  gave  their  assistance.  Had  it  been  merely  a  message 
from  a  Bechuana  chief,  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  Griquas  would  have 
moved  until  the  enemy  had  approached  their  own  borders.  Again,  had 
not  the  Griquas  been  previously  brought  into  a  comparatively  civilized 
state  by  the  influence  of  the  missionaries  who  have  resided  among  them, 
they  would  not  have  been  in  a  condition  to  have  resisted  the  enemy. 
This  resistance  was  effectual,  and  appears,  under  Providence,  to  have 
saved  the  Town  of  New  Lithako  from  the  fate  of  Kurreechane,  and 
the  Bechuanas  who  inhabit  it,  whom,  as  we  have  seen,  the  invaders  re- 
garded as  dust  under  their  feet,  from  destruction.  Nor  is  it  at  all  impro- 
bable that  the  colony  is  itself  indebted,  under  Providence,  to  the  same 
causes  for  the  prevention  of  an  extensive  predatory  inroad  on  its  territory, 
by  the  invading  tribes." 

On  the  same  suhject,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Philip,  in  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Campbell  writes  : 

"  In  reading  over  Mr.  Moffat's  journal,  we  cannot  help  noticing  with 
gratitude,  the  hand  of  God  in  all  the  circumstances  connected  with  the 
deliverance  of  our  missionary  friends  and  the  people  of  Lithako.  Had 
Mr.  M.  not  undertaken  the  journey  he  proposed,  he  might  have  remained 
ignorant  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy  ;  or  had  he  gone  forward  on  his 
journey  without  liearing  of  them,  as  he  might  have  done  in  that  country, 
Lithako  must  have  fallen,  and  he  himself,  and  the  mission  families,  might 
have  been  involved  in  the  same  destruction ;  and  had  he  been  spared  to 
return  from  his  visit  to  Makaba,  one  cannot  contemplate  him.  even  in 
imagination,  standing  on  the  ruins  of  Lithako,  and  treading  on  the  ashes 
of  his  murdered  wife  and  children,  without  shuddering  with  horror  !  But 
the  circumstances  which  indicate  an  invisible  arm  in  the  preservation  of 
our  friends,  do  not  stop  here.  Had  he  delayed  his  journey,  or  had  he 
deferred  calling  in  the  Griquas,  whatever  escape  might  have  been  pro- 
vided for  him  and  our  other  missionary  friends,  Mothibi  and  his  people 
would  have  been  ruined.  The  influence  of  the  missionaries  upon  them 
would  in  all  probabiHty  have  been  lost,  and  their  circumstances  might 
have  been  rendered  so  desperate,  as  to  preclude  all  hope  of  being  of  any 
service  to  them  in  future." 

In  taking  leave  of  these  appalling  recitals,  it  only  remains 
to  be  noticed,  that  the  Mantatees,  after  finally  leaving  the 


REMOVAL    OF    STATION    PROPOSED.  251 

country,  separated  into  two  divisions.  The  one  proceeded 
eastward,  towards  the  Bakone  country,  while  the  other 
proceeded  to  that  of  the  Basuto,  from  the  eastern  parts  of 
which  they  had  emigrated,  or  rather  been  driven,  by  the 
destructive  inroads  of  the  Zoolu,  Matabele,  and  other  tribes. 
Like  many  other  pastoral  people,  when  robbed  of  their 
cattle,  they  have  nothing  left ;  and  thus  must  either  perish 
or  rob  others  ;  and  from  being  wild  men  they  become  more 
like  wild  beasts.  Oppression  and  hunger  make  a  wise  man 
mad  in  any  country  ;  and  when  we  follow  the  Mantatees  in 
their  long  campaign  of  active  warfare  and  bloodshed,  we 
cease  to  wonder  that  habit  rendered  them  fierce  and  fearless 
as  the  beasts  of  prey,  among  which  they  roamed.  It  is  a 
deeply  interesting  fact,  that  a  missionary  is  now  labouring 
with  success  among  the  latter,  conquering  them  with  far 
other  weapons  than  those  which  were  found  necessary  to 
arrest  their  devastating  career  at  Old  Lithako. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

The  events  recorded  in  the  preceding  chapter  were  of  so 
peculiar  a  character,  and  the  circumstances  under  which 
they  took  place  so  remarkable,  that  we  were  naturally  led 
to  anticipate  a  favourable  change  in  the  prospects  of  the 
mission.  We  had  been  but  a  short  time  at  Griqua  Town, 
when  all  reports  of  farther  invasion  from  the  interior  died 
away,  the  enemy  having  taken  another  route ;  and  we 
accordingly  retraced  our  steps  to  a  spot,  now  in  some  mea- 
sure endeared  to  us.  The  people  in  general  appeared  to 
feel  deeply  sensible  of  the  lively  interest  which  the  mission- 
aries had  taken  in  their  welfare,  especially  as  they  could  not 
help  seeing  that  it  was  not  without  much  suffering  and 
deprivation  of  comfort  on  our  part.  They  could  not  but 
wonder  that  we  remained  in  the  country,  when  we  might 
have  escaped  to  the  colony  with  comparatively  little  loss  of 
property ;  and  they  did  not  hesitate  to  say  this  to  ourselves, 
with  evident  admiration  of  our  conduct.  We  had  long 
deplored  the  unsuitable  character  of  the  spot  on  which  we 


252  OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    PLAN. 

lived  for  a  missionary  station ;  and  owing  to  the  succession 
of  dry  seasons,  there  was  every  prospect,  from  the  diminu- 
tion of  the  fountain,  of  its  becoming  still  more  trying. 

All  the  buildings  which  had  hitherto  been  raised  were  but 
temporary ;  and  the  prospect  of  being  left  on  a  sandy  plain 
without  even  drinking-water,  not  only  prevented  our  erect- 
ing comfortable  abodes,  but  determined  us  to  embrace  what 
appeared  a  favourable  juncture  for  recommending  a  removal 
to  a  situation  more  eligible.  A  place  eight  miles  distant, 
and  about  three  miles  below  the  Kuruman  fountain,  was 
examined,  and  appeared,  from  the  locality,  its  proximity  to 
the  source  of  the  river,  from  which  a  very  large  supply  of 
water  issued,  to  be  a  better  spot  for  a  missionary  station  than 
any  other  for  hundreds  of  miles  round.  When  this  situation 
M'as  first  proposed  to  the  chiefs  it  was  rejected,  owing  to  the 
distance  from  trees  and  bushes,  of  which  to  make  their 
houses  and  fences.  In  a  former  chapter,  the  disposition  and 
habits  of  the  people  in  this  respect  have  been  explained. 
The  country  around  where  we  now  lived  had  in  its  turn 
been  denuded,  and  it  was  in  vain  that  we  tried  to  convince 
them  that  they  could  not  expect  every  advantage  in  one 
locality.  We  found  it  of  no  avail  to  point  out  to  them  the 
manner  in  which  some  of  the  interior  tribes  built  their 
fences  and  folds  with  stone,  and  of  which  they  had  numer- 
ous examples  before  their  eyes  at  Old  Lithako,  in  the  ruins 
of  many  cattle-folds,  and  fences  on  the  hills*  Rather  than 
gather  or  quarry  stones  to  raise  a  substantial  fence,  a  man 
would  take  a  Ibrked  stick,  a  thong,  and  his  axe,  and  occupy 
nearly  a  whole  day  in  bringing  from  a  distance  a  bundle  of 
the  hook-thorn  (acacia)  to  fill  up  a  gap  in  his  cattle  or  sheep 
fold.  Motliibi  told  us  we  might  go  and  settle  at  Scitri  (the 
island),  the  native  name  for  the  place,  an  island,  being  in 
the  middle  of  an  extensive  valley  of  reeds,  covered  with 
water,  because  we  should  be  a  protection  to  his  cattle  from 
the  Bushmen,  who  were  troublesome  in  that  quarter. 

*  From  these  fences  or  walls,  which,  however,  exhibit  nothing  like 
what  is  understood  by  masonry,  but  only  stone  dykes,  the  place  derives 
its  name,  Lorako,  a  wall  (of  defence),  Lithako  (walls).  They  are  sup- 
posed to  have  been  built  in  the  days  of  'I'lou,  the  greatest  of  the  Baro- 
long  kings,  whose  power  extended  from  the  Bahurutsian  mountains  to 
the  Hamhana  hills,  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles.  I'he  Batlapis  were 
then  an  insignificant  tribe,  which  rose  to  renown  and  influence,  and 
threw  off  the  yoke  of  one  of  the  sons  of  Tlou,  whose  kingdom  had  been 
divided  among  his  sons;  and,  owing  to  their  wars  and  contentions  for 
supremacy,  the  Barolong  nation  dwindled  to  a  tribe,  now  scattered  in 
various  sections. 


THE    AUTHOR    VISITS    CAPE    TOWN.  253 

As  I  had  contemplated  a  journey  to  Cape  Town,  in  order 
to  obtain  supplies,  as  well  as  on  account  of"  Mrs.  M's  health, 
which  had  suffered  considerably,  Mr.  Hamilton  and  I  were 
anxious  to  settle  the  subject  of  removal  with  the  natives 
before  I  went,  that  the  necessary  preparations  for  so  import- 
ant a  measure  might  be  made  while  at  Cape  Town.  At 
our  request  Mothibi,  two  or  three  of  his  chiefs,  with  Peclu, 
his  son  and  heir-apparent,  accompanied  us  to  the  spot. 
After  examination,  it  was  agreed  that  about  two  miles  of 
the  valley,  from  the  ford  doM'nward,  should  henceforth  be 
the  property  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and  that  for 
the  same  a  remuneration  should  be  given  on  my  return  from 
Cape  Town.  Having  completed  these  arrangements,  I 
proceeded  thither  with  my  family  in  October,  1823,  leaving 
Mr.  Hamilton  alone  on  the  station.  As  Mothibi  was  anx- 
ious that  his  son  should  see  the  country  of  the  white  people, 
he  sent  him  with  us,  and  appointed  Taisho,  one  of  his  prin- 
cipal cliiefs,  to  accompany  him.  The  kind  reception  they 
met  with  from  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  and  the  friends 
in  Cape  Town,  and  the  sights  they  saw,  produced  strange 
emotions  in  their  minds.  They  were  delighted  with  every 
thing  they  beheld,  and  were  in  raptures  when  they  met 
again  their  old  friend  George  Thompson,  Esq.,  who  showed 
them  no  little  kindness.  It  was  with  some  difficulty  that 
they  were  prevailed  upon  to  go  on  board  one  of  the  ships  in 
the  bay  ;  nor  would  they  enter  the  boat  till  I  had  preceded 
them.  They  were  perfectly  astounded,  when  hoisted  on 
deck,  with  the  enormous  size  of"  the  hull,  and  the  height  of 
tlie  masts ;  and  when  they  saw  a  boy  mount  the  rigging, 
and  ascend  to  the  very  mast-head,  tliey  were  speechless 
with  amazement.  Taisho  whispered  to  the  young  prince, 
"A  ga  si  khatla?"  Is  it  ru)t  an  ape?  When  they  entered 
the  splendid  cabin,  and  looked  into  the  deep  hold,  they  could 
scarcely  be  convinced  that  the  vessel  was  not  resting  on  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean.  "  Do  these  water  houses  (ships) 
unyoke  like  wagon-oxen  every  night  ?"  they  inquired.  "  Do 
they  graze  in  the  sea  to  keep  them  alive?"  A  ship  in  full 
sail  approaching  the  roads,  they  were  asked  what  they 
thought  of  that.  "  We  have  no  thoughts  here  ;  we  hope  to 
think  again  when  we  get  to  the  sliore,"  was  their  reply. 
They  would  go  anywhere  with  me  or  Mr.  Thompson,  for 
whom  they  entertained  a  kindly  feeling,  but  they  would 
trust  no  one  else. 

On  the  very  day  we  reached  Cape  Town,  the  Nepos  ar- 
rived bringing  Messrs.  Robson,  Edwards,  and  Hughes,  three 

22 


254  MISSIONARIES   RETURN    TO    THE    STATION. 

additional  labourers  for  our  mission.  This  was  a  highly  in- 
teresting season  to  us,  who  had  so  lately  been  greatly  tried 
and  perplexed. 

We  were  also  encouraged  to  hope  that  the  visit  of  the 
young  prince  and  Taisho  would  produce  a  salutary  impres- 
sion on  their  countrymen  on  their  return,  and  at  least  con- 
vince them  that  the  missionaries  had  friends,  and  were  not 
obliged  to  live  a  life  of  self-denial  among  the  Bechuanas  be- 
cause they  were  not  allowed  to  dwell  elsewhere.  Mr.  Rob- 
son,  who  began  very  early  to  feel  the  effects  of  a  warm 
climate,  was,  after  taking  medical  advice,  induced  to  remain, 
at  least  for  a  season,  at  one  of  our  colonial  stations,  and  ac- 
cordingly went  to  Bethelsdorp,  where  he  laboured  for  some 
time,  and  has  since  been  most  successfully  engaged  as  a  mis- 
sionary at  Port  Elizabeth.  Mr.  Edwards  was  detained  for 
the  purpose  of  improving  the  temporal  affairs,  and  superin- 
tending the  erection  of  new  buildings  at  some  of  our  colonial 
stations. 

With  Mrs.  M.'s  health  somewhat  improved,  we  left  Cape 
Tow^n,  accompanied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hughes,  and,  after  en- 
during for  two  months  the  tedium  and  monotony  of  an  Afri- 
can journey,  we  reached  the  station  in  May,  1 824  ;  having 
left  our  companions  to  remain  for  a  season  at  Griqua  Town, 
Mrs.  H.'s  situation  rendering  it  improper  for  her  to  travel. 
Our  return,  which  had  been  expected  with  miuch  interest 
and  some  anxiety,  by  the  parents  of  the  young  prince,  was 
hailed  with  all  the  grotesque  expressions  of  extravagant  de- 
light. During  our  absence  Mr.  Hamilton  had  continued  his 
quiet  and  apparently  fruitless  labours,  but  with  the  consola- 
tion that  the  natives  had  been  much  kinder  than  they  were 
wont  to  be.  Soon  after  our  departure  he  had  suffered  the 
loss  of  his  dwelling-house  by  fire,  when  almost  all  that  was 
valuable  to  him  was  destroyed,  as  well  as  many  of  the  So- 
ciety's tools.  The  visit  to  the  Cape  appeared  to  give  great 
satisfaction  to  all  parties.  The  original  engagement  for  the 
land  on  which  to  establish  our  new  station  was  ratified.  The 
spot  on  which  the  first  houses  ever  built  there  were  to  stand 
was  surveyed,  and  the  course  of  the  water-ditch,  or  canal, 
marked  out.  As  we  had  been  led  to  expect  labourers  from 
the  colony  to  assist  in  carrying  on  the  public  work,  the  pre- 
liminaries only  of  removal  could  be  attended  to  ;  and  as  Mr. 
Hughes  was  to  join  the  mission  after  a  time,  it  was  judged 
proper  that  I  should  in  the  interim  fulfil  my  promise  to  Ma- 
kaba,  king  of  the  Bauangketsi,  for  which  we  had  heard  that 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  BAUANGKETSI.  255 

he  was  very  anxious,  having  been  informed  of  my   former 
attempt  to  do  so. 

I  left  on  the    1st  of  July,  accompanied  hy  some  Griquas, 
who  were  going  part  of  the  way  with  a  view  to  hunt  ele- 
phants.    After  travelling  three  days,  over  a  comparatively 
Bandy  plain,  studded  with  clumps  of  acacias,  we  reached  the 
Mashaua,  or  Old   Lithako  river,  where  we   obtained  water, 
by  digging    in   its  bed.      Here  we  were  joined  by  another 
party,  under  the  chief  Berend    Berend.      Leaving  this  spot, 
where  the  draught   oxen,  which  were  numerous,  obtained  a 
very  scanty  supply  of  water,  we  proceeded  in  a  northerly  di- 
rection, over    another    sandy  plain,  on  which    large   acacia 
trees  were  thinly  scattered.     At  sunset  our  Bechuana  guides, 
according  to  custom,  halted  for  the  night ;  but  as  the  water 
was  distant,  our  party  was  anxious  to  proceed  in  the  cool  of 
the  night,  for  the  sake  of  the  oxen.      Our  guides  assured  us 
that  we  should  lose  our  way ;  but  the  majority  was  resolved 
to   follow  what    appeared  to  be  the  direct  course,  for  road 
there  was  none.      While   the  owners  of  the  long  string  of 
wagons  were  proceeding,  trusting  to  the  first  team,  they,  as 
is  very  common,  laid  themselves  down   on   their  stretchers, 
and  slept.   The  wagon-drivers  also  began  to  get  very  drowsy ; 
and  after   some  hours'  riding,  I  could  plainly  discover  from 
the  stars  that  we  were  diverging  to  the  left,  and  gave  infor- 
mation to  the  leading  wagon-drivers,  but  were  assured  they 
were  right,  while  I  was  equally  sure  they  were  wrong.   About 
two  o'clock  A.  M.  we   halted.      The  principal  individuals  of 
the  party  having  dozed   a  little,  arose    and  surrounded  the 
kindled  fires,  which  were   now  acceptable,  though  the   day 
had  been  exceedingly  hot.      While  preparing  a  cup  of  cofiee, 
I  took  out  my  compass,  to  assure   the  party  that   for  more 
than  two  hours  we  had  been  travelling  towards  the  Mashaua, 
from  whence  we   had  come.      The    more   sagacious  looked 
for  some  time   at  the  little   instrument,  and  then,  looking 
around   and  upwards   to  the  stars,  pronounced   it  to   be  an 
*  impostor.     Others  remarked,  that  it  might  know  the  right 
way  in  its  own  country,  but  how  was  it  to  find  it  out  there? 
While  eating  a  morsel  of  food,  for  which  we   had  an  un- 
common relish,  the  waning  moon  began  to  diffuse  a  pale 
lustre   on   the   eastern  horizon.      "What  a  fire!"    said  one. 
"  It  is  the  moon,"  I  replied.      All,  starting  to  their  feet,  ex- 
claimed, "  The  moon  cannot  rise  on  that  side  of  the  world  ;" 
and  Antonie,  a  venerable  old  man,  who  had  been  once    a 
slave,  said,  very  respectfully,  "  Sir,  your  head  has  turned ; 
the  moon  never  rose  in  the  west  in  my  life,  and  I  am  an  old 


256  WANDER   IN   THE   DESERT. 

man."  "  It  is  the  moon,"  I  again  said  ;  but  no  one  believed 
me,  and  we  resumed  our  repast.  Presently  the  moon's  horn 
was  seen  above  the  horizon,  when  all  rose  again,  some  say- 
ing, "  What  is  that?"  I  had  no  further  need  to  argue  the 
point.  Antonie,  in  grave  amazement,  exclaimed,  "  The 
moon  has  for  once  risen  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  world  !" 
Soon  after  the  sun's  rays  threw  additional  light  on  their  be- 
wildered imaginations,  and  showed  to  all  that,  for  half  the 
night,  we  had  been  travelling  towards  the  station  of  the  for- 
mer day,  in.stead  of  from  it.  But,  what  was  still  worse,  it 
was  discovered  that  nearly  all  our  draught  oxen  had  left  us, 
and  returned  to  the  water  we  had  quitted.  Horses  were 
despatched  to  bring  them  back,  and  in  the  evening  they  all 
returned,  were  immediately  inyoked,  and  at  a  late  hour  we 
reached  water,  where  we  found  some  of  our  guides,  who 
laughed  most  heartily  at  our  self-conceit  about  seeing  in  the 
dark.  Here  we  halted  for  a  couple  of  days,  to  refresh  our  ox- 
en, while  our  hunters  brought  us  in  plenty  of  the  flesh  of  the 
rhinoceros  and  buffalo.  We  then  proceeded  over  a  country 
of  lime-stone,  covered  with  the  hook-thorn  acacia,  and  halted 
again  at  Kongke,  where  we  spent  the  Sabbath,  on  which 
we  rested, — according  to  a  previous  agreement  with  the 
Griquas,  that  there  should  be  neither  hunting  nor  travelling 
on  that  day, — and  enjoyed  the  usual  services.  Here  also 
I  had  an  opportunity  of  addressing  the  natives,  who  congre- 
gated around  us,  in  a  country  Avhich  at  first  appeared  to  be 
without  an  inhabitant.  A  party  of  Bechuanas,  who  had  ac- 
companied us  thus  far,  now  proceeded  north-west,  towards 
the  Kalagare,  and  we  journeyed  towards  the  east. 

The  country  became  rather  more  interesting,  being  inter- 
spersed by  hills  of  lime-stone,  covered  with  trees  and  shrubs, 
with  an  abundance  of  game,  some  of  which  must  travel  at 
least  twenty  miles  to  obtain  water.  I  found,  however,  that 
many  of  the  antelope  kind  could  remain  two  days  without 
water,  while  rhinoceroses  and  quaggas  were  in  the  habit  of 
frequenting  it  daily.  Some  of  the  company  killed  two  ele- 
phants during  the  day,  and  we  were  compelled  to  bivouac 
in  a  plain  without  water,  as  it  was  dangerous  to  proceed, 
owing  to  the  number  of  lions,  whose  roar  we  heard  in  the 
distance.  Next  day  we  proceeded  in  a  more  northerly  di- 
rection over  an  undulatina:  country,  covered  with  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  timber,  but  of  the  poorest  quality.  We 
halted  at  two  natural  wells  of  rather  an  extraordinary  de- 
scription, an  iron  schist  formation,  about  100  yards  from  each 
other.     One  is  about  sixteen  feet  deep,  with  four  feet  of  wa- 


NATURAL   WELLS.  257 

ter :  they  are  both  nearly  perpendicular,  and  about  two  feet 
and  a  half  in  diameter.      The  hill  in  which  they  are,  is  com- 
posed of  a  conglomerate   mass  of  iron   schist,  and  near  the 
mouth,  as  Avell  as   in   the   sides  of  these  holes,  are  appear- 
ances as  if  the  whole  had  once  been  in  a  state  of  fusion,  and 
that  these  were  the  a})ertures   of  some    internal  fires,   but 
nothing  like  lava  appears  in  the  neighbourhood.      From  the 
older  natives  who   have   resided  near  these  wells  all  their 
lives,  I   learned   that   they  were   once  much  deeper.      The 
water  was  excellent,  and   to   obtain   sufficient   for  ourselves 
and  horses,  we  fastened  a  vessel  to  the  end  of  a  rope  ;  the 
oxen  we  sent  to  a  water  at  a  distance,  called  Khuari.     Two 
elephants  were   shot ;  this  was  glorious  news  for   the  poor 
Bechuanas,  or   Sauneys^  who   instantly  resorted  to  the   car- 
cases, and  with  their  wretched  knives  and  spears  soon  dis- 
sected the   ponderous  animals.      Miserable,   indeed,  is  the 
condition  of  these   poor  people,  to  whom  reference  has  al- 
ready been  made  in  the  first  chapter,  where  the  reader  will 
see  a  parallel  is   drawn  between   them   and   the    Bushmen, 
who  have   decidedly  the   advantage.      The  latter  are  inde- 
pendent,  and   can   give   or  withhold  their  services  to  the 
neighbouring  tribes   at  pleasure.      Their  sufferings  beyond 
the  common  lot  of  homeless  tribes,  arise  from  their  stealing 
of   cattle,  which    renders  them  obnoxious   to    their    richer 
neighbours.      All  .that  they  procure   in  the  chase,  even  the 
daintiest  of  the  game,  is  their  own.      Not   so  with  the  poor 
Bechuanas.      If  any  of  the   people   from  the    towns  fall  in 
with  them,  they  are  in  the  most  peremptory  manner  ordered 
to  perform  every  service,  however   galling.      Of  this  I  had 
frequent  opportunities  of  convincing  myself  during  the  pres- 
ent journey.      They   are   generally  spoken  of  in  the  same 
manner  as  pack-oxen,  or  beasts  of  burden,  being  employed 
for  that  purpose.      While  we  were   here    a   Mochuana  met 
some  of  these  people  carrying  meat  which  they  had  procured 
at  a  great  distance,  and  were  taking  to  their  families,  when 
he  ordered  them  to  take  every  ounce  of  it  to  his  own  abode. 
If  the  wounded   game  happen  to  fall  at  a  place  remote 
from  water,  these  people  are  collected,  especially  the  females, 
and  compelled  to  carry  the  meat  perhaps  a  distance  of  thirty 
miles ;   and  to  prevent  their  elopement,  when  their  services 
are  retjuired  the  following  day,  they  are  sometimes  hedged 
into  a  fold  made  of  hook-thorn  bushes,  precisely  like  so  many 
sheep,  and  there  they  must  pass  the  night.      Many  of  the 
poor   women  came   to  the   water,  particularly  when   they 
found  there  was  a  stranger  there  who  took  their  part.      The 

22* 


258  IGNORANCE    OF   THE    NATIVES. 

Bechuanas  who  were  travelling  with  us  to  the  Barolongs, 
did  not  object  to  my  interference  on  their  behalf,  and  only 
laughed  at  my  foolishness  in  making  such  "  lincha,"  dogs, 
the  objects  of  my  sympathy.  They,  like  the  natives  in  ge- 
neral, live  at  a  distance  from  water,  which  they  visit  at  most 
once  a  day.  As  they  never  wash  themselves,  little  of  that 
precious  beverage  serves  ;  their  vessels  consist  of  sacks  made 
from  skins,  also  the  entrails  and  paunches  of  animals.  They 
use  also  ostrich  eggs  for  the  same  purpose,  corked  with  gras.?, 
and  of  which  a  woman  can  carry  thirty. 

Here  we  spent  a  quiet,  and  I  believed  a  profitable  Sab- 
bath. There  were  members  of  the  church  at  Griqua  Town 
in  our  party,  who  often  proved  interesting  society  in  a  desert. 
I  conversed  some  time  with  the  poor,  ignorant  Sauneys ; 
they  appeared  lively  and  interesting,  especially  when  they 
had  eaten  plenty  of  meat,  of  which  there  was,  on  that  occa- 
sion, no  lack.  I  made  many  inquiries  to  discover  if  they  had 
any  sense  of  moral  evil ;  it  was  with  great  difficulty  I  could 
convey  to  their  understanding  what  I  meant  to  say.  They 
assured  me  again  and  again,  that  they  could  not  compre- 
hend that  there  was  evil  in  any  thing  they  could  do.  The 
term  holco^  (sin,)  did  not  convey  to  them  the  same  meaning 
it  does  to  us  ;  they  applied  it  to  a  weapon,  or  any  thing  else 
which  they  thought  was  not  made  as  they  wished.  Thus, 
what  we  should  call  an  imperfect  knife  or  arrow,  they  would 
call  a  sinful  arrow.  But  of  a  sense  of  sin  arising  from  re- 
sponsibility, they  had  no  conception  ;  they  did  not  even  seem 
to  think  that  the  conduct  of  those  who  tyrannized  over  them 
was  wicked,  but  that  it  had  fallen  to  their  lot  to  be  so  treat- 
ed, or  was  a  thing  that  happened,  like  a  lion  killing  a  man. 
When  I  directed  their  thoughts  to  a  great  Being  in  the  hea- 
vens, some  looked  up  with  a  vacant  stare,  as  if  they  expected 
to  see  something  appear.  When  I  asked,  Who  made  all 
things  ?  they  were  only  surprised  that  I  should  ask  such  a 
question.  They  wondered  at  our  singing  hymns,  wliich 
"  these  valleys  and  rocks  never  heard,"  and  inquired  if  they 
were  war  songs.  My  books  puzzled  them ;  they  asked  if 
they  were  my  "  Bola,"  prognosticating  dice.  Hapless  be- 
ings, they  drag  out  a  miserable  existence  !  The  principal 
part  of  the  game  they  obtain  is  caught  in  pitfalls.  I  have 
seen  some  of  these  holes  sixteen  feet  deep,  where  even  the 
tall  giraffe  and  ponderous  rhinoceros  are  entrapped.  Some 
of  them  are  formed  like  a  funnel,  others  are  an  oblong  square, 
with  sharp  stakes  fastened  in  the  bottom  ;  the  earth  taken 
out  is  generally  scattered,  and  the  opening  covered  over  with 


INCIDENTS   AT   A   POOL.  259 

sticks  and  grass.  These  pits  are  often  dangerous  to  travel- 
lers and  hunters,  and  lives  are  not  unfrequently  lost,  as  they 
are  generally  formed  in  the  footpaths  of  the  game. 

The  landscape  was  somewhat  pleasing  to  the  eye  ;  many 
clumps  of  trees  were  scattered  around,  and  on  the  plain  to 
the  north,  between  us  and  the  Molapo  river,  appeared  a 
forest,  but  the  timber,  chiefly  acacia,  was  of  small  dimen- 
sions. On  the  distant  horizon,  hills  in  the  Bauangketsi  coun- 
try were  seen,  apparently  covered  with  timber,  indicating  a 
more  fertile  region.  Lions  abounded  in  this  neighbourhood, 
but  they  did  not  disturb  us,  excepting  by  an  occasional  roar. 
Some  of  the  horsemen  having  visited  the  Molapo,  and  found 
the  bed  of  it  dry,  it  w^as  necessary  to  alter  our  course.  One 
evening,  we  came  to  a  pool  of  rain  water,  which  was  sur- 
rounded by  fires,  in  order  to  prevent  the  game  from  approach- 
ing. This  was  to  us  a  most  providential  supply,  as  there 
was  no  water  for  two  days  after  leaving  this.  The  few  na- 
tives who  visited  us,  finding  that  we  Mere  very  friendly, 
brought  the  w^hole  village  to  our  encampment ;  and  as  we 
had  plenty  of  meat,  tliey  were,  to  their  no  small  surprise, 
liberally  supplied  and  rewarded  for  allowing  our  cattle  to 
drink  at  their  guarded  pool.  The  soup  in  which  our  meat 
was  cooked,  and  which  contained  an  ample  share  of  mud, 
was  swallowed  with  avidity  ;  a  dozen  w^ould  surround  a  pot, 
and  having  no  spoons,  and  not  allowing  time  for  the  soup  to 
cool,  they  used  the  right  hand  to  take  out  a  little,  threw  it 
quickly  into  the  hollow  of  the  left,  thence  into  the  mouth, 
and  afterwards  licked  both  that  nothing  might  be  lost.  The 
following  day,  we  travelled  over  a  dry  and  sandy  plain,  and 
halted  without  water.  Early  next  day  we  resumed  our  jour- 
ney, and  it  was  distressing  to  see  the  sufferings  of  the  poor 
cattle  from  thirst,  running  into  the  shadow  of  a  tree  or  bush, 
from  which  it  was  difficult  to  remove  them.  We  at  last  de- 
scended into  the  bed  of  the  Molapo,  but  it  was  as  dry  as  the 
neighbouring  plain.s.  We  proceeded  eastward  along  the  bed 
of  the  river,  but  could  not  meet  with  an  individual  to  give 
us  information  as  to  where  we  might  find  water.  The  val- 
ley becoming  rocky,  we  were  compelled  to  lead  out  our 
wagons  to  the  open  country.  We  had  scarcely  done  this, 
when  two  lions  passed  along  the  spot  we  had  left,  roaring 
furiously.  After  some  miles'  jogging  over  a  rough  bushy 
country,  we  descended  again  into  the  river's  bed,  where  it 
was  discovered  the  reeds  were  on  fire.  Nearly  the  whole 
party  ran,  expecting  water,  but  found  none.  Men  and  cattle 
being  worn  out,  we  halted  for  the  night,  every  one  feeling  as 


260  A    SCENE   AT    THE   WATER. 

if  this  night  was  to  be  his  last.  Two  very  hot  clays'  travel- 
ling over  a  dusty  plain,  with  a  dry  and  parching  wind,  had 
reduced  mind  and  body  to  a  state  of  great  exhaustion.  A 
camp  of  eleven  wagons,  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
oxen,  and  nearly  a  hundred  human  beings,  generally  make 
a  terrible  uproar,  especially  when  there  is  plenty  of  meat ; 
ours  was  silent  as  the  desert  around,  interrupted  only  by  an 
occasional  groan  from  the  wearied,  worn-out  cattle. 

Thirst  aroused  us  at  an  early  hour,  and  examining  the 
footmarks,  we  found  that  the  horsemen  who  had  left  us  on 
the  previous  day  in  search  of  water,  had  passed  eastward. 
Before  we  had  proceeded  far,  a  bufialo  was  discovered  in  a 
thicket  of  reeds.  The  men,  seizing  their  guns,  fired  upon 
him,  but  as  he  concealed  himself  in  the  middle  of  the  reeds, 
it  was  difficult  to  reach  him.  I  entreated  the  rnen  to  desist, 
as  from  the  character  of  the  buffalo  when  wounded  an  acci- 
dent appeared  to  be  inevitable  ;  however,  they  persisted, 
saying,  "  If  we  cannot  get  water,  we  nmst  have  raw  flesh." 
In  order  to  dislodge  the  animal,  they  set  fire  to  the  reeds, 
when  the  enraged  buffalo  rushed  out  through  the  fire  and 
smoke,  and  though  his  gait  seemed  as  awkward  and  heavy 
as  that  of  a  great  pig,  he  instantly  overtook  one  of  the  men, 
who  escaped  with  merely  being  thrown  down,  slightly 
wounded,  and  having  his  jacket  torn  open.  Had  not  the 
dogs  at  the  same  moment  seized  the  animal  from  behind, 
the  man  would  have  been  killed  on  the  spot.  The  buffalo 
returned  to  the  flaming  reeds,  from  which  he  would  not 
move,  but  was  shot  after  his  skin  was  literally  roasted  in  the 
fire.  About  noon  we  came  unexpectedly  to  the  stream,  into 
which  men,  oxen,  horses,  and  sheep  rushed  promiscuously, 
presenting  a  scene  of  the  most  ludicrous  description.  One 
man  is  pushed  down  by  an  ox,  pleased  with  the  refreshing 
coolness  of  the  water;  another,  in  his  haste,  tumbles  head- 
foremost over  the  bank,  followed  by  a  sheep  or  a  goat.  One 
crawls  between  the  legs  of  oxen,  another  tries  to  force  him- 
self in  between  their  bodies.  One  shouts  that  a  horse  is 
trampling  upon  him,  and  another  that  he  is  fast  in  the  mud. 
But  while  all  this  was  going  on  there  was  no  disposition  for 
merriment,  till  every  one  was  satiated  and  withdrew  from 
the  water;  when  wet,  muddy-looking  spectacles  presented 
themselves,  which  would  have  caused  even  gravity  itself  t( 
laugh.  While  the  meat  was  preparing  over  the  fire,  a  quafi 
of  the  tobacco  pipe  unloosed  every  tongue,  and  made  all  elo- 
quent on  the  hardships  of  the  past.  Correctly  to  conceive 
of  such  a  scene  it  is  necessary  to  have  witnessed  it.     Here 


ARRIVE  AT  THE  BAROLONGS.  261 

we  refreshed  ourselves  with  a  day's  rest,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing arrived  at  Pitsan,  the  principal  town  of  the  Barolong 
tribe,  Avho  lived  formerly,  when  visited  by  Mr.  Campbell,  at 
Kunuana  or  Moshen,  three  days'  journey  to  the  south. 

Tauane,  the  highest  chief,  made  his  appearance,  amidst 
a  noisy  multitude  ;  he  saluted  us  in  the  English  manner,  by 
giving  the  right  hand,  saying,  as  well  as  he  could  pronounce 
it,  "  Good  morning."  Many  were  the  good  mornings  they 
wished  us,  though  the  sun  had  long  set.  On  the  following 
day  the  principal  men  met  us,  with  whom  we  conferred  on 
the  object  of  my  journey,  while  the  Griquas  informed  thern 
of  their  plan  to  shoot  elephants  in  the  neighbourhood. 
Tauane,  a  weak,  imbecile  looking  man,  tried,  as  is  usual 
among  the  African  tribes,  to  dissuade  me  from  attempting 
to  visit  so  notorious  a  character,  at  the  same  time  prophesy- 
ing my  destruction.  This  town,  which  covered  a  large 
space,  and  included  a  numerous  division  of  Bahurutsi,  and 
another  of  the  Bauangketsi,  contained  upwards  of  twenty 
tliousand  inhabitants,  all  of  whom  had  congregated  here  af- 
ter the  attack  of  the  Mantatees.  During  my  absence  at 
Cape  Town,  Mr.  Hamilton  had  visited  them,  to  whom  many 
listened  with  great  attention,  and  as  it  had  rained  very 
heavily  during  his  visit,  he  was  viewed  in  the  very  imposing 
light  of  a  rain-maker,  they  having  requested  him  to  pray  for 
rain,  which  he  did.  They  were  not  backward  in  reminding 
me  of  this  fact ;  but  on  inquiring  what  he  had  taught  them, 
I  found  their  memories  were  less  tenacious. 

Anxious  to  make  the  best  use  of  the  time,  especially  of  the 
sahbath,  I  first  held  divine  service  in  the  Dutch  language, 
for  the  Griquas  ;  but  the  noise  of  the  multitude  which  had 
congregated,  obhged  us  to  desist  I  then  attempted  at  two 
different  parts  of  the  town  to  address  the  people  through  an 
interpreter,  and  by  the  influence  of  the  chiefs  obtained  a 
hearing.  I  conversed  wath  the  principal  men  on  tbe  subject 
of  a  missionary  settling  among  them.  One  said,  "  You  must 
come  and  make  rain  ;"  and  another,  "  You  must  come  and 
protect  us."  Of  course  I  gave  them  to  understand  that  the 
object  of  the  missionary  was  neither  to  make  rain,  nor  to 
protect  them,  and  referred  to  our  mission  at  the  Kuruman, 
of  which  some  had  a  perfect  knowledge.  Multitudes,  who 
appeared  to  have  nothing  to  do,  crowded  around  us  from 
morning  till  niglit.  The  town  was  under  the  government 
of  three  chiefs,  Tauane,  Gontse,  and  Inche.  The  first  was 
considered  the  most  powerful,  though  Gontse  had  the  great- 
est number  of  Barolongs  under  his  authority.     The  last  was 


262  PROCEED  TO  THE  BAUANGKETSI. 

brother  to  Khosi,  whom  Mr.  Campbell  describes,  but  who, 
from  his  want  of  energy,  was  deposed.  As  in  all  other 
towns,  there  were  sections  composed  of  the  inhabitants  of 
other  tribes,  who  congregrate  under  chiefs  of  their  own,  and 
retain  the  name  and  peculiarities  which  distinguish  their 
nations.  Thus  there  was  a  considerable  suburb  of  Bauang- 
ketsi,  under  the  chief  Moromolo,  Avho  was  a  man  of  sound 
judgment  and  commanding  mien.  Wooden  bowls,  spoons, 
and  ornaments  in  abundance,  were  brought  to  exchange  for 
commodities  which  we  possessed  ;  among  others,  two  elderly 
men  came  and  presented  their  children  for  sale  ;  a  sheep 
was  expected  for  one,  and  a  quantity  of  beads  for  the  other. 
I  embraced  the  opportunity  of  pointing  out  to  them,  and  to 
all  present,  how  unnatural  such  conduct  was,  and  the  direful 
consequences  which  must  arise  from  such  a  course  ;  that  a 
sheep  would  soon  be  eaten,  and  a  few  ornaments  could  avail 
little  when  compared  with  the  assistance  they  might  expect 
from  their  children;  how  useful  they  might  become  to  the 
tribe  generally,  and  to  themselves  in  particular,  when  age 
and  weakness  would  make  them  thankful  to  have  a  friend, 
a  relative,  and  particularly  a  child.  They  walked  off,  evi- 
dently disappointed,  while  those  around,  who  were  listen- 
ing to  what  I  said,  professed  their  fullest  conviction  of  the 
horrors  to  which  such  a  system,  if  connived  at,  would  lead. 
It  is  proper,  at  the  same  time,  to  remark,  that  slavery,  in  the 
general  sense  of  the  term,  does  not  exist  among  the  Bechu- 
anas.  The  feudal  system  prevails  among  the  tribes.  There 
are  two  grades,  the  rich,  who  are  hereditary  chiefs,  and  the 
poor.  The  latter  continue  in  the  same  condition,  and  their 
lot  is  a  comparatively  easy  kind  of  vassalage.  Their  lives 
are  something  like  those  of  their  dogs,  hunger  and  idleness, 
but  they  are  the  property  of  their  respective  chiefs,  and  their 
forefathers  have,  from  time  immemorial,  been  at  the  mercy 
of  their  lords.  There  are,  however,  few  restraints  laid  upon 
them,  as  they  often  leave  for  a  more  comfortable  situation 
at  a  distance  ;  but  should  they  be  brought  into  circumstances 
of  danger,  they  flee  to  their  former  masters  for  protection. 

Tauane  was  extremely  reluctant  that  we  should  proceed 
to  the  Bauangketsi.  He  had  introduced  to  me  one  of  Ma- 
kaba's  wives,  who  had  fled  with  her  two  sons,  one  of  whom 
was  afterwards,  like  Absalom,  slain  by  the  warriors  of  his 
father  for  treason.  The  mother  of  this  enterprising  charac- 
ter was  a  fine  looking,  matronly  woman. 

After  having  satisfied  myself  about  the  propriety  of  pro- 
ceeding, I  resolved  on  leaving  with  my  small  party,  expect- 


MET   BY    A    SON    OF    MAKABA.  263 

ing  that  the  hunters  would  take  another  course,  as  they  had 
their  fears,  that  what  every  body  said  about  Makaba  must 
be  true.  However,  all  inyoked  their  oxen  at  the  same  time, 
and  the  cavalcade  began  to  move  towards  the  Bauangketsi 
country.  We  halted  at  night  near  a  large  pool,  with  the 
pleasing  prospect  of  spending  a  tranquil  sabbath,  for  we  sup- 
posed we  were  still  a  great  way  from  the  Bauangketsi  cattle 
out-posts.  Having  travelled  far,  our  oxen  being  unusually 
fatigued,  they  Avere  left  unguarded,  or  not  made  fast  with 
thongs  to  the  wagons,  which  is  frequently  done  in  a  strange 
country,  and  where  lions  abound.  After  our  usual  evening 
service,  we  all  retired,  every  one  in  good  spirits,  having  some- 
what recovered  from  the  frightful  Barolong  stories,  about 
the  great  man  to  whom  we  were  going,  and  whose  beer  we 
were  told  we  should  have  to  drink  out  of  human  skulls.  In 
the  morning  it  was  di.scovered  that  nearly  fifty  of  our  oxen 
had  strayed  during  the  night ;  we  met  for  service  in  the  fore- 
noon, expecting  that  the  men  who  were  sent  in  search  of 
them  would  soon  return.  About  mid-day  they  made  their 
appearance,  with  the  somewhat  startling  intelligence  that 
the  cattle  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Makaba's  out-post 
keepers,  who,  not  knowing  whose  they  w^ere,  had  seized  them, 
and  killed  one.  This  information  produced  not  only  mur- 
muring, but  much  fear  in  our  camp ;  and  many  were  the 
speculations  to  which  it  gave  rise;  some  were  contemplating 
a  hasty  flight,  thus  rendering  the  sabbath  less  profitable  than 
I  had  anticipated.  However,  our  minds  were  somewhat  re- 
lieved, for  in  the  evening  two  men  brought  .six  of  the  oxen, 
together  with  the  meat  of  the  one  slaughtered,  stating  that 
the  rest  Avere  separated,  and  sent  to  the  different  out-post.s, 
but  that  they  should  all  be  restored.  The  men  very  earnestly 
begged  us  to  intercede  for  them,  with  Makaba,  who.  they 
said,  would  most  certainly  take  their  lives  for  the  ox  they  had 
slaughtered.  We  assured  them  of  our  interference  on  their 
behalf  The  Griquas  were  thus,  from  a  kind  of  necessity, 
induced  to  proceed  to  head-quarters. 

Having  still  eight  oxen  for  each  wagon,  we  resolved  on 
proceeding.  We  had  not  gone  far  before  we  were  met  by 
Maroga,  or  Marocha,  one  of  Makaba's  sons,  at  the  head  of 
a  number  of  men.  He  presented  me  with  some  milk,  and 
addressed  us  as  follows : — "  I  am  terrified  at  your  presence, 
because  of  the  injury  we  have  done  you.  We  should  all 
have  fled,  but  we  knew  you  \vere  men  of  peace.  Your  oxen 
will  be  restored,  not  one  sliall  be  lost.  I  have  ordered  the 
men  to  the  town  who  killed  the  ox.      They  shall  be  torn  in 


264  THE  rain-maker's  end. 

pieces  before  your  eyes.  Makaba,  my  fatber,  will  not  pardon 
them,  for  he  has  long  expected  you  as  his  friends.  The  road 
to  the  town  is  far,  it  is  without  water ;  remain,  and  drink  of 
my  pool,  and  to-morrow  I  will  take  you  to  the  house  of  my 
father."  With  his  proposal  that  we  should  remain  during 
the  night,  I  refused  to  comply.  Upon  this  he  immediately 
presented  me  with  an  ox  ;  but  I  still  refused,  on  the  ground 
that  his  father  might  in  the  meanwhile  kill  the  men  referred 
to,  which  would  exceedingly  grieve  us,  and  prevent  our  revis- 
iting his  country.  Maroga  at  last  acquiesced,  and  at  my  re- 
quest rode  with  his  wife  in  my  wagon,  which  was  matter  of 
no  small  diversion  to  them,  riding  of  any  kind,  even  on  oxen, 
being  never  practised  either  by  the  Bauangketsi  or  Barolongs. 
At  eight  p.  M.  we  halted  at  a  place  without  water,  when  Ma- 
roga and  his  companion  viewed  our  water-barrels,  and  the 
abundant  provision  we  had  made  of  that  element,  with  as- 
tonishment. The  wife  of  Maroga  was  formerly  wife  of  the 
Bahurutsi  rain-maker,  who  left  Lithako  in  18'22.  It  appears 
from  her  account  that  Makaba  had  invited  him  to  the  capi- 
tal, and,  after  the  store-houses  M^ere  filled  wifh  corn,  the  sup- 
posed result  of  the  rain-maker's  pretended  skill,  charged  him 
with  having  bewitched  his  child,  who  was  sick,  and  laying 
hands  on  the  impostor,  killed  him,  and  gave  his  wife  to  his 
own  son.  This  was  her  own  stor)^,  but  the  fact  was,  that 
Maroga,  one  day  sitting  by  his  father,  observed  the  rain- 
maker's wife,  who  was  a  fine-looking  woman,  and  remarked 
that  she  Avas  much  too  pretty  for  such  a  man.  Her  husband 
was  speared  by  Makaba' s  orders,  and  the  widow  given  to  his 
son.  She  seemed  still  to  feel  grateful  for  the  kindness  shown 
to  her  at  our  station,  and  referred  to  my  interference  on  be- 
half of  her  late  husband. 

Next  day,  before  we  had  proceeded  far,  we  were  met  by 
messengers  from  Makaba,  who  said  he  had  not  slept  for  joy, 
because  of  our  approach.  We  passed  many  women,  who 
were  employed  in  their  gardens,  who,  on  seeing  us,  threw 
down  their  picks,  and  running  to  the  wagons,  lifted  up  their 
hands,  exclaiming,  "  Rumela,"  (their  manner  of  salutation.) 
which  was  followed  by  shrill  cries  sufficient  to  affright  the 
very  oxen.  As  the  wagons  were  obliged  to  take  a  circuitous 
road  over  tlie  hill  to  the  town  ;  we  saddled  our  horses  to 
cross  by  the  nearest  way  ;  on  reaching  the  summit  of  the 
hill,  at  the  foot  of  which  lay  the  metropolis  of  the  Bauang- 
ketsi, turning  our  eyes  northward,  we  were  greatly  surprised 
on  beholding  the  number  of  towns  which  lay  scattered  in  the 
valleys.     Our  guide  conducted  us  through  a  winding  street 


RECEPTION    AT   KUAKUE.  2G5 

to  the  habitation  of  Makaba,  who  stood  at  the  door  of  one 
of  his  houses,  and  welcomed  us  to  the  town  in  the  n.sual 
way.  He  seemed  astonished  and  pleased  to  see  us  all  with- 
out arms,  remarking,  with  a  hearty  laugh,  that  he  wondered 
we  should  trust  ourselves,  unarmed,  in  the  town  of  such  a 
villain  as  he  was  reported  to  be.  In  a  few  minutes  a  multi- 
tude gathered,  who  actually  trode  on  each  other  in  their  ea- 
gerness to  see  the  strangers  and  their  horses.  Meanwhile 
Makaba  walked  into  a  house,  and  sent  us  out  a  large  jar,  or 
pot  of  beer,  with  calabashes,  in  the  form  of  a  ladle.  Being 
thirsty,  we  partook  very  heartily  of  the  beer,  which  possess- 
ed but  little  of  an  intoxicating  quality. 

By  this  time  our  wagons  had  reached  the  town,  and  as 
Makaba  had  expressed  his  desire  that  we  should  conduct 
them  through  the  principal  street,  I  went  forward  to  examine 
the  narrow  winding  path,  through  a  multitude  of  houses,  and 
pronounced  the  thing  impossible,  without  seriously  injuring 
the  fences.  "  Never  mind  that,"  said  Makaba,  "  only  let  me 
see  the  wagons  go  through  my  town  ;"  and  on  they  went, 
while  the  chieftain  stood  on  an  eminence  before  his  door, 
looking  with  inexpressible  delight  on  the  wagons  which  were 
breaking  down  corners  of  fences,  while  the  good  wives  w^ith- 
in  were  so  much  amazed  at  the  oxen,  and  what  appeared  to 
them  ponderous  vehicles,  that  they  hardly  found  time  to 
scold,  though  a  few  did  not  fail  to  express  their  displeasure. 
Having  reached  the  lower  end  of  the  town,  we  unyoked,  and 
were  instantly  surrounded  by  several  thousands  of  people, 
all  making  their  remarks  on  the  novel  scene,  which  produced 
a  noise  almost  deafening  ;  nor  did  they  retire  till  night  came 
on.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  Maroga,  accompanied 
by  three  chief  men,  came  with  orders  from  his  father  to  ap- 
point them  as  representatives,  which  was  done  in  our  pre- 
sence in  the  most  authoritative  manner;  when  they  were 
commanded  to  abide  by  our  wagons  from  sunrise  till  we  re- 
tired to  rest,  and  to  redress  every  grievance.  They  were 
likewise  made  responsible  for  every  article  which  might  be 
either  lost  or  stolen.  About  sunset,  Makaba  sent  one  of  his 
wives,  stating,  that  the  only  mark  of  respect  which  he  could 
at  present  show,  was  to  send  his  most  beloved  v/ife,  who 
would  deliver  to  us  a  sack  full  of  thick  milk,  and  that  to- 
morrow he  would  provide  us  with  slaughter  oxen.  The  sack 
was  so  large  that  it  was  borne  by  two  men  to  the  wagons. 
The  lekuka,  or  Bechuana  milk  sack,  will  be  described  in 
another  part  of  this  work. 

23 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Having  tliiis  reached  the  metropohs  of  the  Bauangketsi, 
and  having  cast  our  eyes  over  a  dense  population,  we  were 
in  some  measure  prepared  for  the  din  of  many  thousands  of 
voices  on  the  coming  day.  We  were  not  mistaken,  for,  early 
next  morning,  and  long  before  we  were  out  of  bed,  we  were 
surrounded  by  crowds,  so  that  it  was  with  difficulty  we  could 
pass  from  one  wagon  to  another.  On  going  up  the  hill  to 
have  a  view  of  the  neighbouring  country,  I  was  followed  by 
a  number  of  men,  who,  while  I  was  taking  some  bearings, 
were  not  a  little  surprised  at  the  compass,  which  they  re- 
garded as  an  instrument  certainly  belonging  to  a  sorcerer, 
though  they  laughed  when  I  asked  them  if  they  thought  that 
I  was  one. 

About  ten  o'clock  a.  m.,  Makaba  made  his  appearance, 
with  his  retinue,  and  sat  down  opposite  to  my  wagon.  The 
bustling  crowd  retired  to  a  distance,  and  a  dead  silence  en- 
sued. He  addressed  us  nearly  as  follows  : — "  My  friends,  I 
am  perfectly  happy  ;  my  heart  is  whiter  than  milk,  because 
you  have  visited  me.  To-day  I  am  a  great  man.  Men 
will  now  say,  '  Makaba  is  in  league  with  white  people.'  I 
know  that  all  men  speak  evil  of  me.  They  seek  my  hurt. 
It  is  because  they  cannot  conquer  me  that  I  am  hated.  If 
they  do  me  evil,  I  can  reward  them  twofold.  They  are  like 
children  that  quarrel ;  what  the  weaker  cannot  do  by 
strength,  he  supplies  with  evil  names.  You  are  come  to  see 
the  villain  Makaba ;  you  are  come,  as  the  Batlapis  say,  '  to 
die  by  my  hands.'  You  are  wise  and  bold  to  come  and  see 
with  your  eyes,  and  laugh  at  the  testimony  of  my  enemies," 
etc.  A  long  conversation  afterwards  ensued  respecting  the 
state  of  the  country,  and  the  Mantatee  invasion.  On  this 
topic  he  was  eloquent  while  describing  the  manner  in  which 
he  entrapped  many  hundreds  of  the  enemy  by  ambuscades; 
and  stretching  forth  his  muscular  arm  in  the  direction  of  the 
field  of  confli(;t,  he  said,  "  There  lie  the  bleached  bones  of 
the  enemy  who  came  upon  our  hills  like  the  locusts,  but  who 
melted  before  us  by  the  shaking  of  the  spear  ;"  adding,  with 
a  stentorian  voice,  and  with  superlative   self-complacency, 


DESCRIPTION   OF   THE   TOWN.  267 

"  Who  is  to  be  compared  to  Makaba,  the  son  of  Meleta,  the 
man  of  conquest  ?"  The  listening  multitude  broke  the  si- 
lence in  deafening  applause.  I  then  told  him  that  the  object 
of  my  present  journey  was  to  open  a  communication,  that 
we  might  consider  him  in  future  as  one  of  our  chief  friends, 
and,  as  a  pledge  of  that  friendsliip,  a  missionary  should 
come  and  reside  with  him  ;  to  which  he  replied,  that  "  in 
future  he  hoped  no  grass  would  be  allowed  to  grow  on  the 
road  between  the  Kuruman  and  Kuakue.  Mothibi,  I  know, 
will  hinder  you,  because  he  is  afraid  of  losing  you ;  he  is 
afraid  that  you  will  build  your  houses  with  me."*  He  stated 
that  the  strayed  oxen  would  arrive  that  day ;  and,  in  com- 
pliance with  our  entreaties,  he  should  pardon  the  men  who 
had  killed  the  ox.  I  made  him  a  present  of  beads  and  but- 
tons, with  a  number  of  other  trinkets  ;  and  also  gave  him  a 
hat.  One  of  the  Griquas  directed  him  to  put  it  on  his  head, 
which  he  did,  but  immediately  removed  it  to  the  head  of 
another,  saying  that  he  could  not  see  its  beauty  on  his  own. 
As  most  of  the  Griquas  were  come  to  barter,  he  informed 
them  that  on  Friday  he  should  commence.  As  soon  as  he 
departed,  the  noisy  multitude  did  not  allow  us  a  moment's 
leisure  ;  and  during  the  night  we  were  annoyed  by  hyenas, 
of  which  there  are  three  sorts,  the  striped,  spotted,  and 
another  kind,  which,  though  the  smallest,  is  the  most  dan- 
gerous. 

In  the  mornrng  three  oxen  were  sent  for  slaughter,  and, 
in  the  course  of  the  day,  boiled  corn,  pottage,  and  beer.  I 
visited  the  town,  which  is  very  large,  but  was  not  able  to 
judge  of  the  number  of  inhabitants :  the  town  itself  cov- 
ered a  vast  extent,  so  that  the  population  must  have  been 
great  compared  with  that  of  the  towns  of  South  Africa  gen- 
erally. Each  of  Makaba's  wives,  who  were  numerous,  had 
a  separate  establishment,  consisting  of  three  or  four  houses, 
a  corn-house,  and  a  general  storehouse.  They  had  also  a 
number  of  round  jars  for  corn,  from  eight  to  twelve  feet  in 
diameter,  and  nearly  the  same  in  height,  which  are  raised 
from  the  ground  upon  a  circle  of  stones.  Their  premises 
and  houses  were  on  a  plan  rather  different  from  what  I  had 
before  seen.  The  houses,  though  not  larger  than  those  of 
the  Batlapis,  were  built  with  rather  more  regard  to  taste  and 
comfort.  The  accuracy  with  which  circles  were  formed,  and 
perpendiculars  raised,  though  guided  only  by  the  eye,  was 
surprising.  Their  outer  yards  and  house-floors  were  very 
clean,  and  smooth  as  paper.  No  dairy-maid  in  England 
*  To  build  and  to  dwell  are  synonymous. 


268 


CHARACTER   OF   MAKABA. 


could  keep  her  wooden  bowl  cleaner  and  whiter  than  theirs 
were.  In  this  respect  they  formed  a  perfect  contrast  to  the 
Batlapis.  Makaba  frequently  referred  to  the  barbarous 
manners  of  his  southern  neighbours,  and  asked  me,  with  an 
air  of  triumph,  if  the  Batlapis  ever  washed  a  wooden  bowl, 
or  if  CA'^er  they  presented  me  with  food  which  did  not  contain 
the  mangled  bodies  of  flies,  in  a  dish  which  had  had  no  bet- 
ter cleaning  than  the  tongue  of  a  dog. 

The  front  cattle-fold,  or  place  where  public  meetings  are 
held,  was  a  circle  of  170  feet  diameter,  formed  with  round 
posts  eight  feet  high,  and  as  close  to  each  other  as  they 
could  stand,  each  post  having  been  hewn  round  with  the 
axe.  Behind  lay  the  proper  cattle-fold,  capable  of  holding 
many  thousand  oxen:  there  were  also  large  sheep-folds.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  day  Makaba  was  generally  employed 
in  cutting  out  skins  to  sew  togetlier  for  cloaks,  and  in  the  af- 
ternoon he  was  frequently  found  in  a  measure  intoxicated, 
from  a  stronger  kind  of  beer  made  for  his  own  use.  He  ap- 
peared aged,  although  his  mother  was  then  alive.  He  waa 
tall,  robust,  and  healthy ;  had  rather  the  appearance  of  a 
Hottentot ;  his  countenance  displayed  a  good  deal  of  cun- 
ning ;  and,  from  his  conversation,  one  might  easily  discern 
that  he  was  well  versed  in  African  politics.  He  dreaded  the 
displeasure  of  none  of  the  surrounding  tribes;  but  he  feared 
the  Makooas,  or  civilized  people.  War  was  almost  perpet- 
ual between  him  and  the  Bakones,  a  very  populous  nation  to 
the  N.  E.  and  E.  Beyond  the  Bakones  lies  the  Bamangu- 
ato  tribe,  distinguished  for  industry  and  riches;  and  beyond 
the  Bamanguato  lie  the  Bamagalatsela,  who  seem  to  form 
the  limits  in  that  direction,  of  the  aborigines  of  the  country; 
for  beyond  them,  they  said,  were  half  white  people,  who 
wear  linen,  and  whose  manners  are  very  bogale^  '  savage.' 
While  walking  to  a  neighbouring  height,  I  was  able  to  count 
fourteen  considerable  villages;  the  farthest  distant  about  one 
mile  and  a  half;  and  I  was  informed  that  there  were  more 
towns,  which  I  could  not  see. 

For  several  days  I  tried  at  noon  to  get  a  secluded  spot 
where  I  might  take  the  latitude,  but  was  so  beset  with  a 
crowd  of  spectators,  always  in  motion  when  I  sat,  that  the 
quicksilver  of  the  artificial  horizon  was  made  to  move  as  with 
a  breeze.  I  oncce  left  nay  compass  at  the  wagon  for  the  pur- 
pose of  attracting  their  attention,  while  I  stole  away  with 
my  instruments  to  a  distance,  but  a  crowd  soon  followed,  to 
see  the  selpoiie  (seH-seer,)  as  they  called  the  quicksilver,  but 


BOLD    HYENAS.  269 

their  bustling  motions  again  rendered  the  taking  of  a  correct 
altitude  of  the  sun  impossible. 

One  night  we  heard  a  woman  screaming  in  the  town,  and, 
on  inquiry  in  the  morning,  found  that  a  hyena  had  carried 
away  her  child,  which  had  happened  to  wander  a  few  yards 
from  the  door.  On  our  expressing  astonishment,  we  were 
informed  that  such  occurrences  were  very  common,  and  that 
after  night-fall  the  hyenas  were  in  the  habit  of  strolling 
through  all  the  lanes  of  the  town,  and  carrying  away  what- 
ever they  could  seize.  As  these  animals  were  thus  accus- 
tomed to  gorge  themselves  with  human  flesh,  it  became  ex- 
tremely dangerous  to  pass  the  night  in  the  open  field,  espe- 
cially on  the  confines  of  a  town.  I  pointed  out  plans  by 
which  it  appeared  to  me  they  might  succeed  in  extirpating 
them,  but  they  seemed  very  indifferent  to  my  suggestions  ; 
urging  as  a  reason,  that  there  was  something  not  lucky  in 
coming  in  contact  with  the  blood  of  a  hyena. 

One  evening,  long  before  retiring  to  rest,  we  heard,  in  the 
direction  of  the  water  pools,  the  screaming  of  women  and 
children,  as  if  they  were  in  the  greatest  danger.  I  sent  ofF 
a  few  men,  who  ran  to  the  spot,  and  found  three  children 
who  had  been  drawing  water  closely  pursued  by  hyenas, 
which  were  on  the  point  of  seizing  them.  The  men  suc- 
ceeded in  driving  the  animals  away,  on  which  they  ran  to- 
wards the  women,  whom  the  men  also  rescued.  I  under- 
stood that  it  frequently  happened,  that  children  sent  to  the 
pools  for  water  never  returned.  Many  must  thus  be  devoured 
in  the  course  of  a  year,  a  reflection  calculated  to  make  any 
one  shudder. 

The  country  of  the  Bauangketsi  is  hilly,  and  even  moun- 
tainous towards  the  north  and  east.  The  soil  in  general  is 
very  rich ;  but  water  is  rather  scarce,  and  though  I  believe 
rains  are  pretty  abundant,  yet,  from  what  I  could  learn,  irri- 
gation would  be  absolutely  necessary  to  raise  European  vege- 
tables and  grain.  The  countries  to  the  north  and  east 
abound  with  rivers,  and  are  very  fruitful  and  populous.  The 
mountains  are  adorned  to  their  very  summits  with  stately 
trees  and  shrubs,  unknown  in  the  southern  parts  of  the  con- 
tinent, which  give  the  country  a  picturesque  and  imposing 
appearance. 

I  embraced  another  opportunity  of  conversing  with  Ma- 
kaba  on  the  subject  of  a  missionary  residence  with  him, 
with  which  idea  he  professed  to  be  highly  pleased.  I  also 
hinted  that  it  was  probable  that  a  missionary  would  go  to 
the  Bahurutsi,  on  which  he  remarked,   "  that  men  of  peace 

23* 


270  AN    ATTEMPT   AT   INSTPvUCTION. 

should  live  in  every  nation,  that  a  friendly  intercourse  might 
be  kejit  up."  Pointing  to  a  bunch  of  beads  M'hich  hung  at 
his  kaross,  he  remarked  that  a  friend  of  mine  (Mr.  Camp- 
bell) had  sent  them  to  him  from  the  Bahurutsi.  "  I  sup- 
pose," he  added,  "their  stories  frightened  him  back  the  road 
he  came  ;  by  representing  me  to  be  the  king  of  villains.  I 
hope  he  did  not  believe  the  testimony  of  my  enemies.  My 
enemies  are  not  the  persons  to  judge  of  my  character." 

I  had  embraced  different  opportunities  of  conversing  with 
the  chief  and  his  people  on  divine  things,  but  with  little  suc- 
cess;  at  least,  he  appeared  as  if  he  did  not  hear  a  word  I 
said.  Sometimes,  when  I  have  been  trying  to  arrest  his  at- 
tention by  repeating  something  striking  in  the  works  of  God, 
or  in  the  life  of  the  Saviour,  he  would  interrupt  by  asking  a 
question  as  distant  as  the  antipodes  from  the  subject  to  Avhich 
I  hoped  he  was  listening.  1  felt  particularly  anxious  on  the 
sabbath  to  obtain  a  hearing,  and  resolved  to  pay  him  a  for- 
mal visit  for  that  purpose.  I  had  felt  miserable  at  the  pros- 
pect of  leaving  without  the  satisfaction  of  having  told  him 
what  was  the  only  object  of  the  missionary,  especially  as  he 
had  professed  his  wish  to  have  one.  On  the  sabbath  morn- 
ing early,  we  had  our  prayer  meeting,  but  such  was  the 
crowd  and  noise,  that  to  hold  the  service  was  out  of  the 
question.  The  more  we  entreated  them  to  be  quiet,  the 
greater  uproar  they  made,  so  that  we  were  compelled  to  de- 
sist. In  the  forenoon,  taking  some  of  my  company  with  me, 
I  went  into  the  town,  and  found  Makaba  seated  amidst  a 
large  number  of  his  principal  men,  all  engaged  either 
preparing  skins,  cutting  them,  sewing  mantles,  or  telling 
news. 

Sitting  down  beside  this  great  man,  illustrious  for  war  and 
conquest,  and  amidst  nobles  and  counsellors,  including  rain- 
makers and  others  of  the  same  order,  I  stated  to  him  that 
my  object  was  to  tell  him  my  news.  Flis  countenance  light- 
ed up,  hoping  to  hear  of  feats  of  Avar,  destruction  of  tribes, 
and  such  like  subjects,  so  congenial  to  his  savage  disposi- 
tion. When  he  found  that  my  topics  had  solely  a  reference 
to  the  Great  Being  of  whom,  the  day  before,  he  had  told  me 
he  knew  nothing,  and  of  the  Saviour's  mission  to  this  world, 
whose  name  he  had  never  heard,  he  resumed  his  knife  and 
jackal's  skin,  and  hummed  a  native  air.  One  of  his  men, 
sitting  near  me,  appeared  struck  with  the  character  of  the 
Redeemer,  which  1  was  endeavouring  to  describe,  and  par- 
ticularly with  his  miracles.  On  hearing  that  he  raised  the 
dead,  he  very  naturally  exclaimed,  "  What  an  excellent  doc- 


271 

tor  he  must  have  been,  to  make  dead  men  Uve  !''  This  led 
me  to  describe  his  power,  and  how  that  power  would  be  ex- 
ercised at  the  last  day  in  raising  the  dead.  In  the  course 
of  my  remarks,  the  ear  of  the  monarch  caup^ht  the  startling- 
sound  of  a  resurrection.  "What!"  he  exclaimed  with  as- 
tonishment, "  what  are  these  words  about  1  the  dead,  the 
dead  arise  !"  "Yes,"  was  my  reply,  "all  the  dead  shall 
arise."  "  Will  my  father  arise  ?"  "  Yes,"  I  answered, 
"  your  father  will  arise."  "  Will  all  the  slain  in  battle  arise  ?" 
"  Yes."  "  And  will  all  that  have  been  killed  and  devoured 
by  lions,  tigers,  hyenas,  and  crocodiles,  again  revive  ?" 
"  Yes  ;  and  come  to  judgment."  "  And  will  those  whose 
bodies  have  been  left  to  waste  and  to  wither  on  the  desert 
plains,  and  scattered  to  the  winds,  again  arise  ?"  he  asked, 
with  a  kind  of  triumph  as  if  he  had  now  fixed  me.  "  Yes," 
I  replied,  "  not  one  will  be  left  behind."  This  I  repeated 
with  increased  emphasis.  After  looking  at  me  for  a  few 
moments,  he  turned  to  his  people,  to  whom  he  spoke  with  a 
stentorian  voice ; — "  Hark,  ye  wise  men,  whoever  is  among 
you,  the  wisest  of  past  generations,  did  ever  your  ears  hear 
such  strange  and  unheard  of  news  ?"  And  addressing  him- 
self to  one  whose  countenance  and  attire  showed  that  he  had 
seen  many  years,  and  was  a  personage  of  no  common  order, 
"  Have  you  ever  heard  such  strange  news  as  these  ?"  "  No," 
was  the  sage's  answer  ;  "  I  had  supposed  that  I  possessed 
all  the  knowledge  of  the  country,  for  I  have  heard  the  tales 
of  many  generations.  I  am  in  the  place  of  the  ancients,  but 
my  knowledge  is  confounded  with  the  words  of  his  mouth. 
Surely,  he  must  have  lived  long  before  the  period  when  we 
were  born."  Makaba,  then  turning  and  addressing  himself 
to  me,  and  laying  his  hand  on  my  breast,  said,  "  Father,  I 
love  you  much.  Your  visit  and  your  presence  have  made 
my  heart  white  as  milk.  The  words  of  your  mouth  are 
sweet  as  honey,  but  the  words  of  a  resurrection  are  too  great 
to  be  heard.  I  do  not  wish  to  hear  again  about  the  dead 
rising  !  The  dead  cannot  rise  !  The  dead  must  not  arise  !" 
"  Why,"  I  inquired,  "  can  so  great  a  man  refuse  knowledge, 
and  turn  away  from  wisdom?  Tell  me,  my  friend,  why  I 
must  not  'add  to  words'  and  speak  of  a  resurrection?" 
Raising  and  uncovering  his  arm,  which  had  been  strong  in 
battle,  and  siiaking  his  hand  as  if  quivering  a  spear,  he  re- 
plied, "  I  have  slain  my  thousands,  (bontsintsi,)  and  shall 
they  arise  ?"  Never  belbre  had  the  light  of  divine  revela- 
tion dawned  upon  his  savage  mind,  and  of  course  his  con- 
science had  never  accused  him,  no,  not  for  one  of  the  thou- 


272  GREAT   EXCITEMENT. 

sands  of  deeds  of  rapine  and  murder  which  had  marked  his 
course  through  a  long  career. 

While  the  chieftain  and  myself  were  engaged  in  the  above 
conversation,  the  most  profound  silence  reigned,  and  which 
continued  till  interrupted  by  one  whose  features  appeared  to 
indicate  that  he  was  a  man  of  war.  "  I  have  killed  many, 
but  I  never  saw  the  immortal  part  which  you  describe." 
"  Because  invisible,"  I  replied ,  and  referred  him  to  many 
invisible  things,  the  existence  of  which  he  never  doubted. 
Makaba  again  muttered,  "  What  do  my  ears  hear  to-day  ! 
I  am  old,  but  never  thought  of  these  things  before  ;"  and 
hinted  that  he  had  heard  enough.  One  of  the  Griquas  who 
was  with  me,  observing  the  strong  excitement  which  had 
been  produced,  partook  of  the  spirit,  and  addressing  me  in 
the  Dutch  language,  said  : — "  O  I  was  thinking  if  you  would 
only  exercise  a  little  more  faith,  and  cure  that  lame  man, 
the  whole  of  the  thousands  of  the  Bauangketsi  would  be  be- 
lievers." 

They  were  greatly  interested  when  I  explained  to  them 
the  use  of  writing,  and  books,  but  appeared  to  be  a  little  su- 
perstitious about  touching  them.  It  afforded  me  no  little 
gratification  that  these  subjects  of  conversational  instruction, 
had  excited  considerable  interest,  for  many  afterwards  came 
to  our  wagons  to  make  further  inquiries. 

Among  the  early  interviews  I  had  with  this  monarch, 
who  exercised  a  despotic  sway  over  a  population  of,  at  the 
lowest  computation,  seventy  thousand,  he  was  wont  to  refer 
with  unmeasured  feelings  of  pleasure  to  an  event  which  had 
led  him  to  style  me,  Tsala  ea  moeiig,  "  The  stranger's 
friend."  I  should  not  have  known  the  circumstances  of  the 
painful  and  deeply  interesting  event,  which  gave  rise  to  this 
name,  had  I  not  one  day  asked  why  he  appeared  to  feel  so 
much  pleasure  in  calling  me  Tsala  ea  moeyig.  He  had  had 
a  son,  Tsusane,  the  heir  to  royalty  and  power.  Tsusane 
had  some  years  before  fled  from  his  father,  and  according  to 
his  own  account,  for  the  best  of  reasons.  He  and  his  followers 
took  up  their  abode  among  the  Barolongs,  told  his  tale,  and 
tried  with  all  his  eloquence,  for  he  was  both  eloquent  and 
imposing  in  his  appearance,  to  rouse  the  Barolongs  to  make 
war  against  his  father,  as  the  worst  of  beings.  Hoping  to 
raise  an  invincible  army  to  accomplish  the  extirpation  of 
him  he  called  the  greatest  of  tyrants  from  the  earth,  he 
came  with  his  company  as  far  as  our  station,  the  Kuruman. 
Mothibi  congratulated  him  on  his  escape  from  the  murder- 
ous  Makaba,     He  was   very   formally  introduced  to   Mr. 


tsusane's  rebellion.  273 

Hamilton  and  myself,  and  we  of  course  received  him  with 
all  due  courtesy,  for  even  savages  can  appreciate  that.  He 
told  the  story  of  his  father's  brutality,  Gasi  mothu,  "  he  is  not 
a  human  being,"  he  often  said,  which  in  the  phraseology  of 
the  country,  implies  that  he  is  a  lion,  or  some  other  beast  of 
prey.  In  order  to  add  colouring  and  Aveight  to  his  state- 
ments, he  tried  to  persuade  every  one  he  met  with,  that  it 
was  the  intention  of  his  father  to  desolate  the  country;  and 
to  those  who  knew  any  thing  about  Dr.  Cowan  and  Deno- 
van's  expedition,  he  declared  that  he  saw  his  father  destroy 
them,  with  all  the  probable  minutiae  connected  with  such  a 
scene.  All  this  he  told  over  again  to  us,  and  he  looked 
rather  strangely  when  informed  that  we  could  not  believe 
all  that  he  said,  nor  would  we  allow  ourselves  to  be  per- 
suaded, that  Makaba  his  father  was  the  man  he  represented 
hitn  to  be  ;  pointing  out  to  him  at  the  same  time,  the  mao-- 
nitude  of  the  crime  of  which  he  was  guilty  in  his  rebellion 
against,  not  only  his  king  but  his  father,  and  that  thereby  he 
was  seeking  his  own  destruction.  These  remarks  put  a 
close  to  the  conversation  at  that  time.  Mothibi,  though  an 
inveterate  enemy  of  Makaba,  would  not  grant  his  aid,  and 
the  young  rebel  returned  to  the  Barolongs,  where  he  in- 
fluenced a  large  party  to  rally  round  his  standard.  By  my 
inquiry  respecting  the  designation  I  had  obtained,  the  fol- 
lowing additional  facts  were  elicited,  which  give  a  striking 
display  of  the  judgments  of  God  even  among  the  heathen  : — 
He  was  represented  as  an  aspiring  youth,  eager  to  obtain 
the  reins  of  legal  power,  and  had  contemplated  the  destruc- 
tion of  his  father.  Having  a  persuasive  tongue,  and  a 
fascinating  appearance  and  address,  he  tried  to  win  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  He  condescended  to  call  the  plebeian 
his  child,  which  in  the  dignified  minds  of  the  Bauangketsi 
nobles  created  suspicion.  This  artifice  failing,  he  secretly 
got  a  deep  hole  dug  in  the  path  which  his  father  was  wont 
to  frequent,  in  which  he  got  sharp  stakes  fastened,  and  the 
whole  covered  as  if  to  entrap  game,  hoping  that  on  the 
coming  morn  his  father  might  be  the  unfortunate  victim  of 
his  unnatural  cruelty.  The  plot  was  discovered,  and  Tsu- 
sane  fied.  Makaba,  justly  dreading  farther  stratagems,  got 
some  of  his  most  confidential  attendants,  under  pretence  of 
flying  from  the  same  alleged  despotism,  to  appear  to  support 
the  rebellion,  while  in  reality  they  were  only  to  watch  the 
motions  of  his  son.  This  they  faithfully  carried  into  execu- 
tion. Several  of  these  who  were  intelligent  men,  were 
among  his  retinue  when  he  visited  our  station  on  the  Kuru- 


274  .  UNFOUNDED    ALARMS. 

man  river.  They  had  listened  to  what  I  had  said  to  him  in 
reference  to  his  conduct,  and  the  character  of  his  father.  On 
his  return  to  the  Barolongs,  some  of  these  fled  to  Makaba, 
and  related  all  that  they  had  heard.  Makaba  loved  his  son, 
and  notwithstandinjT  all  Tsusane's  demonstrations  of  hatred, 
gave  imperative  orders  to  his  warriors,  that  in  their  conflicts 
with  him  and  his  adherents,  they  were  to  spare  the  life  of 
his  son.  In  one  of  his  attacks  on  a  cattle  out-post,  where  a 
strong  force  happened  to  be  placed,  he  was  defeated.  Al- 
though a  man  of  great  swiftness,  one  sMnfter  still  overtook 
him,  who  shouted,  "  Throw  down  your  weapons,  and  your 
life  is  safe."  He  turned  and  threw  his  spear,  but  missed  his 
mark.  He  was  again  overtaken,  when  the  same  kind  mes- 
sage was  sounded  in  his  ears,  with  the  addition,  "  Your  fa- 
ther loves  you,  and  will  not  kill  you."  He  hurled  another 
spear  at  his  pursuer,  and  fled.  The  third  time  the  voice  of 
mercy  reached  his  ear,  and  while  drawing  from  his  shield 
his  battle-axe,  his  pursuer  transfixed  him  with  a  spear. 
When  the  tidings  reached  Kuakue,  the  father  mourned  ior 
his  son,  and  had  nearly  taken  vengeance  on  the  man  who 
had  deprived  him  of  his  first-born.  Makaba  more  than  once 
referred  to  those  events  with  much  feeling,  and  would  ask  if 
it  was  the  Great  Being  I  talked  about,  who  told  me  the 
facts' of  the  case,  when  he  would  repeat,  verbatim,  all  that  I 
had  said  to  Tsusane. 

Our  time  being  expired,  the  Griquas  informed  Makaba 
that  it  was  their  wish  to  leave  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two 
in  order  to  hunt,  and  at  the  same  time  1  pointed  out  to  him 
the  necessity  of  my  returning  with  my  small  partj^,  as  from 
the  dryness  of  the  season,  I  feared  the  few  pools  on  the 
Barolong  plains  would  be  dried  up.  This  he  did  not  like, 
though  aware  of  the  difficulty  of  our  returning  except  by  a 
circuitous  route.  On  reaching  the  wagons  in  tlie  evening  I 
found  the  people  under  great  alarm,  a  report  having  been 
spread  that  the  natives  intended  murdering  the  whole  party. 
On  investigating  the  different  stories,  not  one  like  another, 
though  all  bad  enough,  I  was  convinced  that  this  report  was 
unfounded.  Nothing  however  could  quell  the  fears  of  the 
Griquas.  Guns  were  unloosed,  loaded,  and  placed  by  the 
w\agons  in  case  of  an  attack,  while  the  gloom  of  night  in  a 
valley  surrounded  by  dark  looking  mountains,  made  the 
imagination  fertile,  filling  the  ears  with  hoarse  and  warhke 
sounds,  and  surrounding  the  camp  with  thousands  of  Bauang- 
ketsi  warriors.  Every  message,  and  every  motion  of  a 
visitor,  were  construed  to  be  hostile.      I  had  left  my  inter- 


PRECIPITATE   DEPARTURE.  275 

preter  in  the  town,  who,  with  the  boys  who  tended  the  oxen 
which  were  kept  at  night  in  Makaba's  cattle  field,  did  not 
make  their  appearance.  Some  person,  whom  no  one  had 
seen  or  could  name,  had  reported  that  they  were  murdered. 
I  returned  to  the  town  to  look  about,  and  with  a  view  to 
convince  the  company  that  their  fears  were  groundless,  and 
found  the  persons  of  whom  I  was  in  search,  perfectly  igno- 
rant of  the  horrors  which  were  said  to  await  us,  and  returned 
unscathed  to  the  wagons,  but  all  this  failed  to  convince. 
Many  passed  a  sleepless  night,  and  in  the  morning  before 
the  Bauangketsi  had  well  finished  their  night's  repose,  the 
oxen  were  brought  from  the  fold,  and  all  was  soon  in  motion. 
The  people  seeing  preparations  made  for  departure,  sur- 
rounded us  by  thousands  with  oxen  and  articles  for  sale. 
They  could  discover  the  alarm  and  the  preparations  for 
defence.  It  was  early,  the  wind  was  cold,  and  the  people 
had  all  their  mantles  on;  and  imagination  saw  short  spears 
concealed  beneath.  A  party  of  armed  horsemen  rode  out 
before  to  see  if  the  ravine  through  which  we  had  to  pass 
was  clear,  for  a  regiment  was  said  to  be  there.  This  was 
bidding  a  grateful  farewell  to  the  king  and  people,  who  had 
shown  us  no  little  kindness! 

To  arrest  the  panic  looked  like  staying  the  course  of  the 
wind.  A  native  chief  interrogating  one  of  the  principal  in- 
dividuals in  our  company  as  to  that  manner  of  leaving,  re- 
ceived in  addition  to  insolent  replies,  what  amounted  to  a 
stroke  of  the  hand,  on  which  he  looked  extremely  fierce.  At 
this  moment  I  began  to  fear,  not  that  the  reports  were  true, 
but  that  this  act  might  give  rise  to  something  serious,  and  to 
resist  the  force  of  some  thousands  of  native  warriors  would 
have  been  a  forlorn  hope.  As  I  could  not  stay  my  own 
people,  I  remained  behind,  conversing  as  well  as  I  could 
with  the  principal  men,  who  crowded  around  me,  eagerly 
inquiring  the  cause  of  the  flight.  After  the  wagons  had 
gone  nearly  out  of  sight,  they  permitted  me  to  follow,  after 
1  had  assured  them  that  if  I  covdd  not  stop  the  party  I  should 
return.  The  wagons  halted  at  a  small  fountain,  Mahubichu, 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  behind  the  hill  on  which  the  town 
stood,  as  some  of  our  oxen  were  missing.  Some  messengers 
from  Makaba  came,  and  very  justly  complained  of  the  abrupt 
departure.  Fears  were  partially  allayed,  but  not  one  of 
them  would  venture  to  the  town.  Some  of  the  oxen  not 
being  forthcoming,  it  was  resolved,  though  with  great  reluc- 
tance, to  spend  another  night  in  fear  and  anxiety,  while  I 
forwarded  a  message  to  Makaba  that  I  should  visit  him  early 


276  THE   AUTHOR   RETURNS   TO   THE   TOAVN. 

next  morning.  During  the  evening  a  native  came  and  cor- 
roborated the  fearful  report,  but  on  his  hearing  that  we  in- 
tended securing  him,  he  made  a  clean  pair  of  heels  of  it,  and 
we  never  saw  him  more. 

Next  morning  I  informed  my  companions  that  I  was  re- 
solved to  visit  the  town,  to  remove,  if  possible,  the  misunder- 
standing to  which  their  credulity  had  given  rise,  and  that  the 
door  which  had  now  been  opened  for  the  introduction  of  the 
Gospel  might  not  be  closed.  They  all  opposed,  and  some 
talked  of  using  force,  to  prevent  me  from  running  unto 
death,  as  they  described  it.  However,  I  walked  off  towards 
the  town,  and  before  reaching  it,  was  overtaken  by  three  of 
our  party,  who  said  nothing,  but  followed  after.  We  found 
Makaba  sitting  in  the  midst  of  a  company  of  his  chief  men. 
On  our  approaching  him  he  addressed  us  individually, 
"Borow  Molutsana,"  (good  morning,  villain.)  On  my  re- 
turning the  compliment,  "  Good  morning,  you  Molutsana," 
he  laughed  most  heartily.  We  then  sat  down  and  entered 
into  conversation.  He  very  justly  complained  of  our  unex- 
pected departure,  and  of  our  not  having  communicated  the 
reports,  of  which  he  also  had  been  informed,  for  investiga- 
tion. I  answered  that  I  had  never  credited  the  reports  re- 
ferred to,  and  that  our  visit  that  morning,  unarmed,  as  he 
might  see,  for  I  was  without  a  jacket,  was,  I  thought,  a  suf- 
ficient proof  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him.  He  re- 
marked that  he  had  not  slept  during  the  night,  but  that  our 
arrival  that  morning  was  sufficient  to  make  him  dance  for 
joy.  After  spending  some  time  in  conversation,  he  gave  us 
refreshments,  presented  me  with  another  ox,  and  ordered  a 
number  to  be  taken  to  the  wagons  for  the  Griquas.  By  tbis 
time  a  multitude  was  collected,  every  one  more  eager  than 
another  to  assure  us  of  their  joy  at  seeing  us  once  more. 

Before  leaving  I  addressed  Makaba,  stating  that  if  I  had 
given  him  and  his  people  a  sati.sfactory  proof  of  peace  and 
friendship,  I  begged  one  in  return,  viz.,  that  he  would  accom- 
pany me  to  the  wagons  ;  to  which  he  replied  that  he  was 
now  old,  but  could  not  deny  my  request.  We  accordingly 
repaired  to  the  camp,  when  he  joked  the  Griquas  for  their 
credulity,  presenting  each  of  the  chief  men  with  an  ox.  Be- 
fore he  left,  he  requested  me  and  two  of  my  company  to  sad- 
dle our  horses,  for  he  was  anxious  to  see  muskets  discharged 
on  horseback.  I  declined,  observing  that  there  were  others 
of  the  company  far  more  expert ;  but  he  would  not  be  satis- 
fied unless  I  did  it,  as  I  was  a  white  man.  After  much  per- 
suasion I  submitted,  and  going  into  my  wagon,  professedly 


RETURN  TO  THE  BAROLONGS.  277 


to  fetch  my  jacket,  put  into  my  pocket  a  brace  of  pistols, 
charged  with  powder  only.  Alter  going  a  few  turns  round 
the  smooth  grassy  plain,  while  the  king  and  his  attendants 
were  roaring  aloud  with  admiration,  I  galloped  past  them, 
discharging  the  contents  of  both  pistols  nearly  at  once,  which 
astonished  the  Bauangketsi  more  than  any  thing  they  had 
ever  seen,  and  frightened  them  too,  for  they  all  fell  prostrate 
to  the  earth,  supposing  they  were  shot.  As  soon  as  I  alight- 
ed from  the  horse,  Makaba  began  to  unbutton  my  jacket  to 
see  the  "  little  rogues,"  as  he  called  them,  exclaiming, 
"  What  a  blessing  that  you  white  men  seek  to  be  friends 
with  all  nations,  for  who  is  there  that  could  withstand  you?" 
Laying  his  hand  on  my  shoukler,  he  added,  "  I  do,  indeed, 
see  that  you  were  without  fear,  or  you  would  have  had  your 
pistols  this  morning."  After  remaining  for  a  couple  of  hours 
we  parted,  Makaba  highly  gratified,  and  the  Griquas  no  less 
so  with  the  exj^lanation  which  had  taken  place. 

Every  thing  being  arranged  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
all  parties,  two  of  our  number,  Karse  and  Hendrick,  remain- 
ed behind  with  their  wagons,  in  order  to  hunt  elephants, 
while  Berend  Berend  and  his  company  proceeded  towards 
the  Barolongs,  with  the  intention  of  starting  off  in  another 
direction  to  hunt,  when  1  expected  to  be  left  to  return  with 
only  my  hali-dozen  attendants.  This  was  the  plan,  but  af- 
ter haitmg  at  a  pool  for  the  night,  Berend  and  his  party,  for 
some  reason,  came  to  the  unexpected  resolution  of  returning 
homewards,  having  already  bartered  for  a  quantity  of  ivory 
witli  the  Bauangketsi.  As  we  proceeded,  we  were  met  on 
the  following  day  by  three  messengers  from  Tauane,  beg- 
ging the  Griquas  to  come  with  all  speed  to  the  assistance  of 
the  Barolongs,  who  were  expecting  an  attack  from  a  tribe 
of  Mantatees,  who  were  in  the  confines  of  the  town.  As  it 
was  impossible  from  the  want  of  water,  to  take  any  other 
route  than  through  the  Barolong  territories,  which  we  would 
gladly  have  done,  to  avoid  coming  in  contact  with  so  savage 
and  warlike  a  body,  we  travelled  with  all  haste. 

On  reaching  the  town  early  next  morning,  such  was  the 
scene  of  confusion  which  met  our  eyes,  that  we  were  per- 
suaded it  was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Here  we  found 
Sebonello.  the  Barolong  chief,  with  whom  our  Wesleyan 
brethren,  Messrs.  Hodgson  and  Broadbent  had  been  labour- 
ing near  the  Vellow  River,  and  who  had  been  attacked  and 
driven  from  his  house  by  the  same  enemy. 

The  conl'usion  having  in  a  measure  subsided,  and  it  be- 
ing  discovered  that  the  enemy  were  not  so  near  as  it  was 

24 


278  THREATENED    ATTACK   ON   PITSAN. 

rumoured,  the  Barolong  chiefs,  with  about  one  thousand 
anned  men,  came  and  seated  themselves  before  our  wagons, 
and  used  every  argument  in  their  power  to  induce  the  Gri- 
quas  to  unite  with  them  in  repeUing  the  marauders.  Tauane 
spoke  to  the  following  effect,  "  You  see  how  many  human 
bones  lie  scattered  on  the  plain,  and  how  many  of  us  are 
dying  from  hunger,  the  result  of  last  year's  scourge,  when 
the  Mantatees  drove  us  from  Kunuana.  If  you  do  not  help 
us,  we  must  all  perish.  Towards  the  setting  sun  is  a  desert 
without  water.  Towards  the  sunrise  there  is  no  rest  from 
tlie  Mantatees.  On  one  side  is  Makaba  my  enemy;  on  the 
other  the  Mantatees  are  approaching,  who  will  destroy  us 
all;  and  I  still  dread  Mothibi."  Sebonello,  who  appeared  a 
fine  intelligent  man,  remarked,  "  I  have  lost  my  all,  and  I 
see  no  alternative  but  to  fight  or  die."  We  all  felt  per- 
plexed :  and  recommended  the  Barolongs  to  remove  with  us 
towards  the  Kuruman.  This  they  would  not  do,  owing  to 
an  old  enmity  between  them  and  the  Batlapis.  The  party 
we  had  left  behind,  to  whom  we  had  sent,  warning  them  of 
their  danger,  did  not  make  their  appearance.  We  waited  a 
da)'^,  hoping  they  would  arrive  ;  but  as  the  reports  about  the 
dreaded  horde  were  rather  dubious,  we  left  next  day  at  noon. 
After  travelling  about  twelve  miles,  we  halted  in  the  bed  of 
the  Molapo  river,  which  lies  in  latitude  25°  40",  and  flows 
westward.  Soon  after  halting,  and  when  I  had  taken  up 
my  pen  to  put  down  a  few  notes,  a  man  was  observed  run- 
ning towards  us  from  a  neighbouring  height,  who,  on  reach- 
ing the  wagon,  was  in  a  state  of  great  exhaustion  and  ter- 
ror. It  was  difficult  to  obtain  from  him  any  thing  like  a 
reason  for  his  flight.  He  looked  round  with  a  wildness 
which  led  some  to  think  he  was  insane,  and  we  left  him  with 
something  of  that  impression.  After  I  had  resumed  my  pen, 
it  occurred  to  me  that  all  was  not  right,  and  I  went  again  with 
Berend  to  the  man.  We  learned,  after  many  inquiries,  that 
he  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  tribe  we  were  dreading, 
and  who  were  at  a  distance  preparing  to  attack  the  town  ; 
that  two  hundred  warriors  had  left  the  main  body,  and 
brought  him  as  a  guide,  to  attack  the  Barolong  outposts  ;  in 
order  to  secure  him  during  the  night,  they  had  covered  him 
with  a  large  skin  cloak,  on  the  extremities  of  which  men 
lay ;  that  they  were  to  attack  the  flying  Barolongs  on  the 
west,  while  the  main  body  was  to  fall  on  the  town  from  the 
east.  On  seeing  the  wagons,  and  learning  from  their  guide 
that  they  were  white  people's  travelling  houses,  they  sud- 
denly fled,  and  he  escaped ;  but  he  added,  he  thought  they 


A   FRIGHTFUL    SAVAGE.  279 

would  attack  us.  From  his  manner  of  speaking,  scarcely 
one  felt  inclined  to  believe  his  relation.  It  was  near  sunset 
before  the  party  could  be  induced  to  send  out  a  few  horse- 
men, in  order  to  ascertain  if  there  were  any  foot-marks  in 
the  direction  from  whence  the  man  came.  They  had  not 
been  absent  more  than  thirty  minutes,  when  one  came  gal- 
loping back  with  the  intelligence,  that  the  Bakhari  or  Man- 
tatees  were  actually  there  ;  and  as  I  had  entreated  them 
not  to  shoot  any  one,  they  wanted  to  know  what  they  were 
to  do.  Berend  strongly  urged  me  to  go  with  additional  men, 
and  try  eitlier  to  speak  to  them  or  frighten  them  ;  as  an  at- 
tack on  our  defenceless  camp  during  the  night  would,  m  all 
probability,  end  in  the  whole  of  us  being  butchered  j  and  to 
flee,  leaving  all  behind,  would  make  us  an  easier  prey.  I 
accordingly  set  off  with  a  few  additional  horsemen  ;  and 
wdien  we  came  in  sight,  they  began  to  move  off;  but  when 
we  halted,  they  did  so  too.  Their  appearance  was  extremely 
fierce  and  savage,  and  their  attitude  very  menacing.  It 
was  evident  that  they  were  reluctant  to  depart,  which  was 
a  convincing  proof  that  a  night  attack  was  premeditated; 
and  when  it  was  growing  dark  they  compelled  us  to  retreat, 
till  a  few  shots  were  fired  into  the  air,  when  they  again  fled, 
and  Ave  pursued,  hoping  to  increase  their  fright.  We  over- 
took one,  whom  we  surrounded,  for  the  purpose  of  informing 
him  who  we  were,  and  that  we  had  no  intention  of  doing 
them  harm.  He  stood  with  his  shield  and  war-axe  in  his 
left  hand,  and  a  spear  in  his  right,  raised  as  if  in  the  act  of 
hurling  it. 

I  confess  I  never  saw  any  thing  so  fiend-like  as  this  man  ; 
and  concluded  that,  if  he  was  a  specimen  of  his  tribe,  all 
hope  had  fled  for  the  Barolongs.  His  body  lubricated  with 
grease  and  charcoal ;  a  large  round  cockade  of  black  ostrich 
feathers  on  his  head  ;  his  eyes  glaring  Avith  rage  ;  while  his 
open  mouth,  displaying  his  white  teeth,  poured  forth  the 
most  opprobrious  epithets  and  obscene  curses,  threatening  to 
give  our  flesh  to  the  hyenas,  and  our  eyes  to  the  crows,  when 
he  made  a  run  first  at  one  of"  us,  and  then  at  another.  One 
of  the  men,  in  order  to  frighten  him,  fired  a  ball  directly 
over  his  head,  when  he  fell,  and  the  horsemen  rushed  for- 
ward to  seize  him  before  he  rose  ;  but  he  was  too  expert, 
and  made  us  quickly  turn  away  in  no  little  confusion  ;  and 
had  it  not  been  for  the  fear  of  losing  his  spear,  it  would  cer- 
tainly have  been  plunged  into  one  of  our  number.  It  was 
now  becoming  too  dark  to  make  any  farther  attempts,  and 
we  let  him  go,  and  turned  in  the  direction  of  the   wagons, 


280  WAGONS    ATTACKED, 

which  were  about  seven  miles  distant.  We  had  not  pro- 
ceeded many  paces,  when  we  were  alarmed  to  find  that  we 
were  surrounded  by  those  who  we  supposed  had  fled,  but 
who  had  secreted  themselves  among  the  bushes,  and,  aided 
by  the  darkness  were  closing  in  upon  our  small  party.  Head 
after  head  rose  above  the  bushes,  when  the  yell  commenced. 
This  was  a  critical  moment ;  and  the  men  who  were  with 
me  behaved  admirably  ;  for,  instead  of  levelling  some,  in 
order  to  obtain  egress,  a  few  shots  were  fired  into  the  sand 
before  the  horses'  heads,  when  we  galloped  through  what 
appeared  the  weakest  part ;  but  many  were  the  javelins 
which  they  threw.  This  was  a  narrow  escape  ;  for  if  a 
horse  had  fallen,  Avhich  is  common  in  the  dark,  amidst 
bushes,  sticks,  and  stones,  he  and  his  rider  would  have  been 
instantly  covered  with  spears.  The  enemy  were  again  pur- 
sued with  some  blank  shots,  when,  hastening  back  to  the 
wagons,  we  were  alarmed  by  the  reports  of  muskets,  which 
convinced  us  that  they  had  been  attacked  by  the  enemy.  It 
was  with  some  difficulty  we  joined  our  companions,  owing 
to  a  party  hovering  round,  who,  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening, 
had  rushed  out  of  the  reeds  in  the  river,  and  driven  the  men 
who  were  left  from  the  wagons,  which  they  struck  with  their 
war-axes,  as  if  they  were  living  things.  They  thrust  their 
hands  into  the  boiling  pots  on  the  fire,  and  seized  the  meat. 
Not  seeing  the  main  body,  part  of  which  we  had  been  pur- 
suing, make  its  appearance,  according  to  their  plan,  they  re- 
tired, but  not  before  one  was  wounded,  if  not  more.  The 
night  was  a  sleepless  one ;  and  before  day  dawned,  messen- 
gers arrived  from  the  town,  soliciting  the  Griquas,  with  the 
most  earnest  entreaties,  to  return,  as  an  immediate  attack 
was  expected,  and  the  knowledge  of  horseinen  being  there 
might  alarm  the  invaders,  and  save  the  town.  To  this  Be- 
rend  would  not  have  agreed,  but  for  the  sake  of  some  of  our 
party,  who  were  yet  behind,  and  who  it  was  justly  feared 
might  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  In  the  morning,  of 
six  Barolong  spies  who  had  been  sent  out,  two  only  returned, 
the  others  having  been  killed.  In  the  evening  some  thousand 
warriors  left  the  town,  accompanied  by  seven  or  eight  horse- 
men, with  the  confident  hope  that  the  enemy  would  flee  when 
they  made  their  appearance.  Tliey  had  not  proceeded  three 
miles  from  the  town,  before  they  saw  the  whole  body  mov- 
ing onward  with  lighted  torches.  Both  parties  halted  at 
no  great  distance  from  each  other.  When  morning  dawned 
they  looked  one  another  in  the  face,  and  the  enemy,  instead 
of  being  intimidated,  rushed,  hke  a  mighty  black  wave,  upon 


A    HEATHENISH    SPECTACLE.  281 

the  Barolongs,  who  fled.  Sebonello's  party,  who  were  of  a 
bolder  character,  resisted  for  some  minutes,  during  which 
time  seventeen  of  his  men  fell,  among  whom  were  his  three 
brothers.  The  horsemen,  seeing  that  they  were  not  to  be 
frightened  by  appearances,  and  that  the  loss  of  life  would  be 
terrible,  fired  a  few  shots  among  the  enemy,  which  arrested 
their  progress.  Tliey  fled  fi-om  the  horsemen  ;  but  seeing 
a  large  party  of  Barolongs  attempting  to  take  their  cattle, 
they  surrounded  them,  and  would  have  cut  down  the  last 
man,  had  they  not  been  again  dispersed  by  the  horsemen, 
when  they  appeared  panic-stricken,  and  fled.  The  Baro- 
longs rallied,  not  to  figlit,  but  to  seize  the  cattle,  with  which 
they  decamped.  Of  these  some  hundreds  were  recovered 
by  the  Griquas,  who  took  them,  and  some  women  who  had 
also  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Barolongs,  and  conducted 
them  to  within  a  few  gun-shots  of  the  enemy,  who  stood 
petrified  with  amazement  to  see  their  conquerors  bringing 
back,  not  only  a  large  number  of  their  cattle,  but  their  wives 
and  children.  The  horsemen  did  not,  however,  forget  to 
send  a  very  fearful  message  by  the  women,  which  induced 
the  marauders  to  make  the  best  of  their  way  out  of  sight. 

While  all  this  was  going  on,  Berend,  his  brother  Nicho- 
las, and  myself,  with  the  wagon-drivers,  were  waiting  with 
intense  anxiety,  seeing  the  wounded,  the  bleeding,  and  the 
dying,  fleeing  past  the  town,  while  the  inhabitants  were 
making  tlieir  e;>cape  with  consternation.  We  had  a  picture 
of  heathenism  indeed  in  the  men  who  had  remained  in  the 
town,  to  guard  it  in  case  of  an  attar^k  from  the  opposite 
quarter,  scampering  off  with  their  shields  and  spears,  leav- 
ing the  women  to  escape  in  the  best  way  they  could,  with 
large  bundles  and  their  young  children  on  their  backs. 
When  we  saw  the  town  evacuated,  we  sent  off  our  wagons 
also  ;  while  Nicholas  and  I  remained  behind  with  our  hor- 
ses, to  wait  the  result,  and  learn  what  had  become  of  our 
men,  for  whose  safety  we  were  extremely  anxious. 

As  soon  as  we  ascertained  that  they  were  safe,  and  that 
the  enemy  had  fled,  I  rode  forward,  to  apprize  the  terrified 
multitude  that  the  danger  was  over.  It  was  aflecting  to 
see,  all  along  the  course  of  their  flight,  utensils,  mantles, 
victuals,  and  many  little  children,  who  had  been  left  by  their 
affrighted  mothers,  who  expected  that  all  was  over.  In- 
stead of  believing  what  I  said,  when  I  called  after  them 
that  the  enemy  had  fled,  and  that  they  must  not  leave  tlieir 
babes  to  perish  with  the  cold,  or  be  devoured  by  hyena.s, 
they  only  fled  the  faster,  till,  at  length,  I  got  some  one  to 

24 


282  AFFECTING    SCENE. 

assist  me  in  driving  a  number  back  to  take  up  their  children. 
Poor  things,  they  did  not  forget  afterM'ards  to  shed  many 
grateful  tears,  for  my  having  frightened  them  back  to  save 
their  weeping  infants. 

When  most  of  the  inhabitants  had  congregated  round  our 
wagons,  near  the  river,  where  w^e  were  first  attacked,  it  was 
affectinof  to  see  the  different  families  meet  ajjain.  Consid- 
ering  their  situation,  they  were  wonderfully  cheerful ;  but 
there  were  bleeding  hearts ;  and  it  was  a  melting  scene  to 
witness  the  return  of  Sebonello,  and  especially  when  he 
exclaimed,  '•  Of  all  my  friends,  I  only  am  left!"  We  assem- 
bled our  company  in  the  evening,  recorded  the  mercies  of 
the  day,  and  felt  devoutly  thankful  for  the  deliverance  that 
had  been  granted.  Touane,  Gontse,  Sebonello,  and  other 
chiefs  came  to  Berend,  and,  in  the  most  feeling  manner, 
thanked  him  for  his  assistance.  They  said  they  felt  this  the 
more,  as  they  had  learned  from  the  prisoner  who  escaped, 
that  it  was  the  determination  of  the  enemy  to  attack  the 
town  on  both  sides,  set  it  on  fire,  and  then  destroy  all  the 
people,  if  they  could. 

On  the  following  morning  an  event  occurred,  worthy  of 
record.  Some  of  Berend's  people  had  brought  droves  of  fine 
fat  cattle  belonging  to  the  enemy,  which  they  had  taken 
from  the  Barolongs,  who,  instead  of  fighting,  had  seized  the 
animals,  and  fled.  According  to  established  right,  they 
were  the  property  of  Berend  and  his  people,  and  every  one 
supposed  they  would  be  claimed  by  him.  These  cattle, 
amounting  to  several  hundreds,  were  collected,  and  Touane 
and  Sebonello  were  called,  many  of  them  having  been  taken 
by  the  enemy  from  the  latter.  Berend  said  to  them,  "  These 
cattle  I  give  up  to  you,  divide  them  among  you.  One  or 
two  for  my  people  to  slaughter  on  the  road,  are  all  that  I 
require."  Sebonello  received  this  most  disinterested  kind- 
ness with  lively  feelings  of  heartfelt  gratitude,  for  he  and  his 
people  were  entirely  destitute.  This  was  an  act  which 
astonished  the  multitude  of  spectators ;  many  held  their 
hand  on  their  mouths,  to  signify  their  utter  amazement. 

Before  separating,  some  trifling  European  articles  were 
brought,  which  had  been  picked  up  on  the  field  of  battle. 
These  were  once  the  property  of  Mr.  Broadbent,  and  had 
been  taken  from  his  station  when  the  enemy  attacked 
Sebonello.  Some  of  our  men  had  seen  several  of  the  war- 
riors with  pieces  of  linen  tied  round  their  legs,  and  remarked 
that  one  of  tlie  slain  appeared  as  if  his  legs  were  Imrned, 
and  bound  up  with  a  piece  of  a  shawl.      This  was  explained 


AN    EXPLOSION.  283 

by  tlie  man  who  had  been  a  prisoner.  Among  the  articles 
they  had  seized,  was  a  bag  containing  several  pounds  of 
gunpowder ;  when  seated  around  their  different  fires,  this 
bag  was  brought  out  to  examine  its  contents,  supposing  them 
medicine,  or  something  to  be  eaten.  One  tasted,  another 
smelled,  a  third  said,  "  Put  it  into  the  hot  ashes,  it  is  seed, 
and  needs  roasting."  In  went  the  bag,  when  presently  a 
fearful  explosion  took  place,  which  threw  them  all  on  their 
backs,  scattering  the  live  coals  in  all  directions.  As  soon  as 
they  recovered  their  senses,  they  started  up,  and  fled  from 
the  spot,  some  exclaiming,  "  more  oa  sethunye,"  It  is  the 
exploder's  medicine,  i.  e.  gunpowder. 

We  thankfully  retired  from  the  melancholy  scenes  which 
had  occupied  our  attention  for  successive  days,  and  bent  our 
course  to  our  respective  homes.  My  arrival  at  the  station 
was,  indeed,  like  life  from  the  dead.  The  deepest  anxiety 
had  been  felt  for  weeks  for  the  safety  of  myself  and  com- 
panions, as  it  was  Avell  known  that  the  hunters  intended  re- 
maining in  the  interior  for  the  purpose  of  shooting  elephants, 
while  I  was  to  return,  comparatively,  alone,  which  greatly 
increased  the  danger.  They  had  been  fully  and  correctly 
informed  that  the  body  of  marauders  which  we  met  had 
come  from  the  Yellow  River,  as  far  as  Nokaneng,  about 
twenty  miles  east  of  Old  Lithako,  and  that  they  had  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Barolongs,  in  the  direction,  and  at  the  very  time 
of  my  contemplated  return.  To  them  our  destruction  ap- 
peared inevitable,  and  it  was  beyond  their  power  either  to 
render  as.sistance,  or  to  give  warning.  There  is  reason  to 
believe  that  their  fears  would  have  been  mournfully  realized, 
but  for  the  unexpected  circumstance  of  Berend  and  his  party 
resolving,  without  any  definite  reason,  to  return  at  the  same 
time;  for  when  I  asked  Berend  why  he  had  given  up  his 
intended  hunt,  he  could  give  no  reason  except  the  feeling 
that  he  did  not  like  my  going  home  alone.  And  on  our 
arrival  at  the  Barolongs,  when  in  the  prospect  of  his  remain- 
ing to  defend  the  town,  I  propo-sed  leaving  him,  to  proceed, 
he  replied,  "  No,  let  us  go  together,"  and  on  that  .same  night 
we  were  attacked.  He  more  than  once  remarked  how  un- 
accountably his  mind  had  been  impressed  on  that  occasion, 
and  could  not  but  see  the  finger  of  God  in  the  whole  aflair. 
But  for  this,  I  should  have  been  surrounded  in  the  wilderness 
by  a  host  of  people,  such  as  have  been  described,  against; 
whom  resistance,  supposing  it  had  been  attempted,  would 
have  proved  of  no  avail,  and  under  such  circumstances  es- 
cape or  safety  would  have  been  impossible. 


284  AFFAIRS    AT   THE    STATION. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting,  briefly  to  glance  at  what  had 
been  going  on  at  the  station  during  my  absence,  Avhere  seri- 
ous apprehensions  had  been  entertained  for  its  safety.  All 
being  tranquil  when  I  left,  Mr.  Hamilton  had  proceeded  with 
the  three  Hottentots  to  the  new  station,  to  make  preparations 
for  a  final  removal.  Mrs.  M.  was  left  alone  on  the  old  place 
in  one  house,  and  a  young  Hottentot  woman  in  another. 
About  this  period  a  party  of  marauders,  composed  of  Bas- 
tards, and  others,  from  the  Orange  River,  collected  in  the 
Long  Mountains,  about  forty  miles  to  the  west  of  the  sta- 
tion, attacked  some  villages  along  the  Kuruman  River,  and 
were  contemplating  a  junction  with  others  in  order  to  attack 
the  Batlapis  and  the  mission  premises.  This  created  con- 
siderable uneasiness,  but  as  reports  of  that  kind  were  often 
dubious,  Mrs.  M.  remained,  though  not  without  some  alarm, 
knowing  their  desperate  character,  and  fearing  that  they 
might  be  tempted  to  attack  the  mission  house  for  the  sake 
of  ammunition  which  might  be  there.  One  evening  the 
Hottentot  girl  came  in  wringing  her  hands,  and,  in  great 
distress,  stated  that  the  Rakari  or  Mantatees  had  been  seen 
at  Nokaneng,  and  were  on  their  way  to  the  Kuruman.  This 
was  alarming  indeed,  to  one  who,  with  two  babes,  had  only 
two  little  Bushmen  children  with  her  in  the  house,  and  no 
means  of  escape  but  fleeing  to  the  bushes.  A  message  was 
sent  to  Mothibi,  who  said  that  the  news  of  the  approach  of 
such  an  enemy  was  correct,  but  that  he  thought  there  was 
no  very  great  danger  before  next  morning.  Mrs.  M.  after 
again  commending  herself  and  little  ones  to  the  care  of  Di- 
vine Providence,  laid  down  in  confidence,  and  fell  asleep. 
At  midnight  a  loud  rap  at  the  door  awoke  her ;  when,  from 
the  reports  on  the  preceding  evening,  she  was  at  a  loss  to 
think  whether  it  was  a  rap  of  Jacob  Cloete,  the  Griqua  ma- 
rauder, or  the  announcement  of  the  near  approach  of  tlie 
horde  from  the  interior.  On  asking  who  was  at  the  door, 
Mothibi  replied  himself  When  it  was  opened,  he  entered 
with  as  many  men  as  the  house  could  hold,  and  announced 
the  dreaded  intelligence  that  the  Mantatees  were  approach- 
ing. The  sound  of  alarm  and  uproar  was  raised  in  every 
part  of  the  town.  A  light  being  obtained,  Mrs.  M.  seated 
herself  in  the  midst  of  the  noisy  council,  heard  all  they  had 
to  communicate,  and  wrote  to  Mr.  Hamilton.  There  was 
now  universal  confusion  till  day  dawned,  which  has  always 
some  effect  in  raising  the  spirits,  however  dejected.  Mr. 
Hamilton  and  the  people  arrived  at  eight  o'clock,  when  pre- 
parations were  made  for  a  hasty  flight.     Warriors  were  as- 


CONCLUDING   REMARKS.  285 

sembling,  and  thousands  were  engaged  in  secreting  some 
articles  of  their  property,  and  packing  up  others.  Each  suc- 
ceeding messenger  hrouglit  fresh  alarms,  till,  ahout  noon,  it 
was  ascertained  that  the  dreaded  enemy  had  directed  their 
course  to  the  Barolongs,  instead  of  coming  to  the  Kuruman. 
This  news  dispelled  the  gloomy  cloud,  and  filled  every  heart 
with  gladness  ;  but  the  intelligence,  which  made  the  popu- 
lace give  their  fears  to  the  winds,  produced  in  Mrs.  M.  a 
shock  of  horror,  as  the  conviction  instantly  flashed  across 
her  mind,  that  nothing  less  tlian  a  Divine  interposition  could 
save  me  fnnn  destruction  ;  it  being  the  time  I  was  expected 
to  be  on  my  return.  The  moment  she  stated  the  cause  of 
her  fears,  all  saw  the  danger,  and  sympathized,  but  no  one 
could  be  induced  to  go  in  search.  The  idea  of  falling  in 
with  such  a  horde  of  savages  was  horrible  in  the  extreme. 
For  three  weeks  my  dear  wife  w^as  thus  exposed  to  a  state 
of  mental  agony  more  easily  conceived  than  described  ;  and 
nothing  but  incessant  approaches  to  the  throne  of  God  could 
have  supported  her.  During  that  period  continual  reports 
were  brought  that  I  had  been  cut  oft'  One  had  seen  a  piece 
of  my  wagon;  another  had  found  a  part  of  my  saddle  ;  and 
some  had  picked  up  parts  of  my  linen  stained  with  blood ; 
till,  at  last,  a  few  men  were  prevailed  on  to  go  and  ascertain 
the  facts,  and  had  started  on  the  morning  of  the  very  day  I 
made  my  appearance.  The  preceding  details  will  show 
what  real  cause  tliere  was  for  alarm,  for  the  exercise  of  faith, 
fervent  prayer,  and,  subsequently,  for  boundless  praise. 


CHAPTER    XXVT. 

The  events  which  have  been  recorded  may,  in  the  judg- 
ment of  some  of  my  readers,  seem  irrelevant  to  the  subject 
of  missions,  except  so  far  as  they  illustrate  the  native  cha- 
racter, and  depict  the  situation  into  which  the  missionary  is 
frequently  brouglit,  in  the  course  of  his  pliilanthropic  career, 
in  countries  where  our  species  has  sunk  into  the  lowest 
depths  of  barbarism  and  vice.  In  glancing  over  missionary 
records  of  bygone  years,  it  will  be  seen  that  this  is  neither  a 


286  STATE    OF   THE    PUBLIC    MIND. 

new  nor  a  peculiar  aspect  of  the  position  which  Providence 
sometimes  calls  him  to  occupy.  It  may  also  be  presumed 
that  no  one  would  be  ambitious  of  such  a  distinction  ;  while 
all  may  see  how  perplexing,  distressing,  and  sometimes 
heart-rending,  his  situation  must  be,  and  the  need  he  has  of 
the  wisdom  which  cometh  down  from  above  ;  which  he  feels 
more  especially  when  there  are  none  with  whom  he  can 
confer.  It  is  then  that  the  throne  of  his  heavenly  Father  is 
found  to  be  a  refuge  that  never  fails  ;  and  it  is  in  such  sea- 
sons that  he  experiences  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  "  Lo, 
I  am  with  you  alway  ;"  for  surely  in  such  exigencies  human 
prudence  would  often  prove  utterly  insufBcient. 

After  my  return,  Mr.  Hamilton  continued  his  labours  at 
the  new  station,  assisted  by  Mr.  Hughes,  who  had  arrived 
from  Griqua  Town  a  short  time  before,  while  I  remained  to 
carry  on  the  services  among  the  Bechuanas.  The  attack 
of  the  rebel  Griquas  on  the  Batlaros  prov^ed  only  a  precursor 
of  a  succession  of  distressing  and  afflictive  providences  among 
that  people,  which  had  well  nigh  led  to  the  destruction  of 
the  mission.  These  circumstances  kept  the  public  mind  in 
a  state  of  ferment,  each  division  and  tribe  being  distrustful 
of  another.  Attendance  on  divine  worship  was  extremely 
irregular  ;  which  Mothibi  accounted  for  by  saying,  that  when 
an  enemy  came  from  the  interior,  they  had  neither  horses 
nor  guns,  and  there  was  some  chance  of  escape  ;  but  when 
Griquas  and  Corannas  came,  who  could  obtain  these  means 
of  destruction  fro.ri  the  white  people,  the  hearts  of  the  Be- 
chuanas could  think  of  nothing  but  the  calamities  which 
awaited  them. 

Hitherto,  by  the  providence  of  God,  it  had  been  our  lot 
only  to  view  the  dire  effects  of  war  at  a  distance  from  our 
station  ;  which  induced  us  to  hope  that  the  escape  of  our 
people  would  have  a  salutary  influence  on  their  minds. 
But  dark  and  intricate  are  the  ways  of  Providence  ;  for  our 
hopes  were  soon  blasted  by  a  civil  war,  which  acquired  such 
magnitude  as  to  oblige  us  speedily  to  abandon  the  station, 
and  retire  to  Griqua  Town,  which  could  scarcely  be  con- 
sidered an  asylum,  from  the  conflicting  parties  who  sur- 
rounded us.  The  Batlapis  professed  to  assist  the  Batlaros 
against  the  lawless  banditti,  whose  rendezvous  M'as  in  the 
Long  Mountains,  to  the  west  ;  but  instead  of  doing  so,  only 
seized  on  their  cattle.  This  act  of  trea«:'hery  excited  the  in- 
dignation of  the  Batlaros :  they  made  reprisals  ;  and,  as  in 
all  such  cases,  bloodshed  followed  rapine.  A  public  meet- 
ing was  convened,  to  which  the  Batlaro  chiefs  were  invited, 


CIVIL  WAR,  287 

when  every  exertion  was  made  to  bring  the  parties  to  an 
amicable  agreement,  and  prevent  the  widening  of  the 
breach.  At  the  request  of  both  parties,  I  spoke  at  the 
meeting.  My  address  was  only  a  short  speech  on  the  bless- 
ings of  peace,  and  the  certain  fearful  results  of  a  civil  war, 
especially  while  a  lion,  fiercer  than  either  party,  was  crouch- 
ing in  the  mountains,  ready  to  pounce  on  them  both.  Mot- 
hibi  had  neither  the  wisdom,  honesty,  nor  decision,  to  order 
his  to  resign  their  ill-gotten  spoil,  while  he  and  his  friends' 
people  were  candid  enough  to  acknowledge  that  they  had 
brought  themselves  into  the  distressing  dilemma. 

The  Batlaros  returned,  mortified,  and  held  up  Mothibi  to 
derision  in  their  dance  and  song ;  and  he  again  resolved  to 
muster  his  warriors,  and  punish  them  for  these  puerile  dis- 
plays of  ill-will.  When  Mothibi  communicated  his  intention, 
I  pleaded,  reasoned,  and  remonstrated  against  the  measure, 
as  fraught  with  ruin.  As  he  wished  one  or  more  of  our  men 
to  accompany  him,  I  consulted  the  brethren,  Hamilton  aud 
Hughes,  and  replied,  that  it  was  our  conviction  that  evil,  in- 
stead of  good,  would  accrue  from  such  a  measure.  All 
knew  that  hitherto  we  had  kept  ourselves  from  all  interfe- 
rence in  their  political  affairs,  except  when  we  thought  we 
could  be  the  means  of  promoting  peace,  and  preventing  the 
effusion  of  blood.  Thus  far,  as  the  servants  of  God,  we 
could  proceed,  but  no  farther.  I  again  entreated  him,  for 
the  sake  of  his  people,  their  wives  and  little  ones,  not  to  take 
a  step  which  was  fraught  with  consequences  of  an  appalling 
nature,  and  which  would  terminate  in  the  suspension  of  our 
labours  among  them,  and  their  being  scattered  like  the  hunt- 
ed deer  on  the  plains.  We  appealed  to  all  present,  whether 
our  counsel,  as  the  servants  of  Christ,  had  in  any  one  in- 
stance failed  to  secure  to  them  the  blessings  of  peace  ;  and 
concluded,  by  recommending  them  rather  to  flee  towards 
Griqua  Town  than  enter  upon  civil  war.  To  this  Mothibi 
replied,  with  an  air  of  scorn,  that  the  Griquas,  who  were 
nurtured  under  the  Gospel,  were  involved  in  war  ;  that  the 
heads  of  the  banditti  they  dreaded  were  Griquas,  and  sub- 
jects of  the  Griqua  government ;  and  that  the  Batlaros  were 
his  subjects,  and  they  despised  his  threatenings  on  the  ground 
that  the  missionaries  would  prevent  him  from  taking  harsh 
measures  ;  but  that  he  was  determined  to  make  them  feel. 
After  making  some  exceedingly  severe  remarks  on  our  con- 
duct, for  our  not  first  reforming  the  Griquas,  and  especially 
Jacob  Cloete  and  Klass  Drayer,  the  heads  of  the  marauders, 
and  once  professors  of  religion,  he  went  away  in  a  rage. 


288  CONFERENCE   WITH    MOTHIBI. 

Next  morning  he  returned,  with  some  chief  men,  and, 
having  had  time  to  reflect  on  the  counsel  given  liim,  was 
as  meek  as  possible,  and  begged  that,  as  I  thought  I  could 
prevent  a  battle,  I  would  accompany  him  to  the  Batlaros. 
This  I  engaged  to  do,  if"  he  would  allow  me  first  to  remove 
my  family  to  the  brethren  at  our  neAv  station,  which  would 
require  two  or  three  days.  I  also  recommended  an  embassy, 
and  not  an  armed  force,  as  I  was  too  well  acquainted  with 
the  Bechuana  character,  to  expect  that  they  would  conduct 
themselves  in  a  way  calculated  to  win  the  affections  of  the 
justly  offended  Batlaros,  who,  to  revenge  their  wrongs, 
would  undoubtedly  call  in  the  assistance  of  the  horde  from 
the  mountains. 

The  commando,  thirsting  for  spoil,  set  off  the  next  day, 
leaving  Mothibi  behind.  The  result  of  this  was  the  devas- 
tation of  the  towns  and  villages  of  the  Batlaros,  who  fled  at 
their  approach.  The  temporary  house  at  the  new  station 
being  ready,  I  removed  my  family  thither.  Two  days  after, 
when  Mr.  Hamilton  and  myself  were  down  at  the  town,  to 
bring  away  some  useful  article,  we  stopped  the  night ;  and 
as  the  country  was  full  of  alarming  reports,  Mothibi  and 
some  of  his  men  came  and  spent  the  evening  with  us,  in  one 
of  our  old  reed  houses,  around  a  fire  on  a  clay  floor,  without 
eitlier  tables  or  chairs.  Much  conversation  and  dispute  en- 
sued as  to  the  cause  of  the  present  distracted  state  of  the 
country,  and  the  best  means  to  be  adopted  to  avoid  becom- 
ing involved  in  the  threatened  ruin.  Mothibi  again  asserted, 
in  his  usual  angry  tone,  that  the  heads  of  the  banditti  of  the 
country  were  Griquas,  and  that  they  were  our  friends  and 
servants,  whom  we  could  command,  and  with  whom  we  had 
constant  intercourse  ;  moreover,  that  these  Griquas  were 
supplied  with  guns  and  ammunition  by  the  colonists,  for  the 
purpose  of  extirpating  the  Bechuanas  !  We  explained  the 
relation  in  which  Vve,  as  well  as  the  people  of  Griqua  Town, 
stood  to  the  rebels  in  the  mountains  ;  and  that  they  might 
yet  see  that  we  weie  as  much  afraid  of  those  he  called  our 
friends  as  he  was;  and  again  solemnly  brought  before  him 
the  indifference  of  the  Bechuanas,  and  even  their  hatred,  to 
the  Gospel  of  Christ,  as  a  fact  which  gave  us  very  little  rea- 
son to  hope  for  that  deliverance  which  had  been  so  singularly 
di-splayed  on  their  behalf  on  former  occasions. 

After  holding  our  evening  worship,  we  begged,  in  case  of 
approaching  danger,  that  they  would  flee  in  the  direction  of 
our  station,  as  it  might  prove  an  asylum,  especially  to  the 
females  and  children.     At  this  they  scoffed,  and  raged,  tell- 


ATTACK    OF   THE    MARAUDERS.  289 

ing  us  to  go  and  convert  the  Griquas  ;  and  thus  left  us,  not 
knowing  whether  the  enemy  might  approach  before  morn- 
ing, or  if  the  natives,  in  their  anger,  might  not  set  fire  to  our 
reed  dw^elhng. 

The  day  after  our  return  home,  we  heard  the  reports  of 
muskets,  and,  from  the  immense  cokimns  of  smoke  arising, 
we  were  convinced  that  many  of  the  towns  and  villages  were 
on  fire.  We  continued  some  hours  in  sad  suspense,  during 
which  the  women  and  children  were  passing  to  the  east,  but 
some,  faint  from  exhaustion  and  terror,  remained  at  our 
dwellings,  while  the  more  vigorous  of  the  sex  were  pressing 
forward  with  trembling  steps,  in  all  directions.  Mothibi  also 
came,  dejected  and  forlorn,  and  related,  with  many  a  sigh, 
the  melancholy  events  of  the  day.  At  his  urgent  request 
we  sent  our  four  men  on  horseback,  hoping  that  they  might 
be  able  to  deliver  a  message  to  the  heads  of  the  commando, 
and  thereby  prevent  further  devastation.  They  went,  and 
were  instantly  surrounded  by  thirty  horsemen,  and  one  had 
his  hat  shot  off  his  head,  which  compelled  them  to  make  a 
precipitate  retreat,  while  several  of  the  Bechuanas  who  ac- 
companied them,  were  killed. 

Our  situation  became  ten  times  more  precarious  than  ever, 
having  now  discovered  that  their  numbers  were  formida- 
ble, and  that  they  had  butchered  hundreds  in  cold  blood,  and 
committed  acts  of  horrid  barbarity  in  cutting  off  the  hands 
of  the  wonaen  in  order  the  more  easily  to  remove  from  their 
arms  the  rings  which  they  wore.  Some  prisoners  who  had 
escaped,  gave  us,  moreover,  every  reason  to  expect  that  they 
would  attack  our  station,  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  ammu- 
nition. Though  this  was  a  hackneyed  threat,  the  appear- 
ance of  our  men,  and  their  ignorance  of  our  motives  for 
allowing  them  to  go,  did  not  leave  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  on 
our  minds  that  our  situation  was  a  dangerous  one,  particu- 
larly as  all  the  natives  were  fleeing,  and  we  could  expect 
little  quarter  from  the  heterogeneous  mass  of  Griquas,  Bast- 
ards from  the  colony,  Namaquas,  Corannas,  Bushmen,  and 
Batlaros,  which  colnaposed  the  banditti.  After  much  delib- 
eration and  prayer  for  Divine  guidance,  we  felt,  however  re- 
luctant, we  ought  to  pack  up  during  the  night  the  most  use- 
ful of  our  goods,  that  Mr.  Hughes  and  myself,  with  our 
families,  should  leave  on  the  coming  morning,  while  Mr. 
Hamilton,  who  was  without  family,  and  one  man,  should 
remain,  with  a  couple  of  horses,  in  case  of  danger,  till  wag- 
ons should  be  sent  to  his  assistance  from  Daniel's  Kuil. 

To  us  the  sabbath  was  not  a  day  of  rest ;  but  though  we 

25 


290  LEAVE    THE    STATION. 

hung  our  harps  upon  the  willows,  we  were  enabled  to  wrestle 
with  God  in  prayer  for  the  poor  Bechuanas,  who  appeared 
to  be  given  over  to  infatuation ;  and  thousands  of  whom 
were  scattered  on  the  lonely  desert,  pinched  with  hunger, 
and  tlu-eatened  with  misery,  famine,  and  death.  Many  fe- 
males lame  with  walking,  and  some  near  the  time  of  their 
confinement,  had  sought  refuge  in  our  houses,  while  others 
had  sunk  under  accumulated  toil.  It  was  deeply  affecting 
to  look  on  such  objects  of  pity,  while  we  could  render  them 
httle  assistance. 

After  five  cheerless  days  we  reached  Griqua  Town,  where 
Mr.  Sass  received  us  with  much  feeling,  having  provided 
houses  for  our  accommodation,  and  sent  wagons  and  oxen  to 
our  assistance.  Meanwhile,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  joined  by  a 
party  of  Berend's  men  from  Daniel's  Kuil,  who  remained 
for  upwards  of  a  fortnight.  On  the  alarm  and  apprehen- 
sions of  the  people  subsiding,  Mr.  H.  came  to  Griqua  Town 
to  inform  us  that  all  was  quiet,  and  that  the  Bechuanas 
were  anxious  for  our  return.  Though  a  temporary  tranquil- 
lity existed  at  the  Kuruman,  the  prospect  before  us  was 
dark  in  the  extreme  ;  and  as  in  case  of  another  attack,  it 
was  found  impossible,  from  the  state  of  affairs  among  the 
Griquas,  to  expect  help  from  that  quarter,  we  thought  it  bet- 
ter not  to  return  with  our  goods  to  the  station.  The  interior 
tribes  were,  according  to  the  most  authentic  information, 
deluging  the  country  with  blood,  appearing  to  depend  for 
their  support  on  the  destruction  of  others.  The  powerful 
and  hitherto  invincible  Bauangketsi  were  dispersed  by  a 
combined  force,  and  Makaba  had  been  .slain  in  the  midst  of 
heaps  of  warriors.  In  the  south-east  the  Batau  and  Legoy- 
as  were  carrying  on  the  same  destructive  game.  The  Wes- 
leyan  mis.sion  at  Makuase  was  also  broken  up,  and  the  mis- 
sionaries retired  to  the  colony. 

Such  commotions  were  unknown  within  the  memory  of 
the  oldest  native.  Tradition  could  give  us  no  parallel. 
They  existed  as  far  northward  as  our  knowledge  of  the 
tribes  extended.  It  now  appeared  the  'more  evident,  that 
had  not  the  Mantatees  been  defeated  at  Old  Lithako,  the 
Bechuana  country,  Griqua  Land,  and  the  Orange  River, 
would  have  been  swept  of  their  inhabitants, —  the  savage 
conquerors  would  have  been  formidable  enemies  to  the 
colony,  and  in  all  probability  would  have  fallen  by  thousands 
before  the  sweeping  bomb  or  rocket, — while  the  scattered 
remains  of  the  aborigines  must  either  have  perished  in  the 
desertSj  or  fallen  under  the  iron  yoke  of  their  neighbours. 


THE    KUATSI    DISEASE.  291 

Many  tribes,  once  powerful  and  prosperous,  but  now  almost 
extinct,  lend  their  testimony  to  the  truth  of  these  remarks, 
and  from  which  we  gathered  this  comfort,  that,  bad  as  our 
circumstances  were,  they  might  have  been  worse  ;  and 
thus,  though  troubled  on  every  side,  we  were  not  distressed ; 
perplexed,  but  not  in  despair. 

In  the  following  month  I  returned  with  my  family  to  join 
Mr.  Hamilton,  when  the  prospect  of  not  being  able  to  obtain 
any  tiling  like  grain  or  vegetables,  rendered  it  necessary  for 
Mr.  Hughes  to  visit  the  colony  for  that  purpose.  The 
Bechuanas  had  still  considerable  quantities  of  native  millet, 
Avhich  they  were  expecting  to  reap,  but  which  was  greatly 
injured  by  two  dreadful  storms  of  hail  passing  over  a  portion 
of  their  gardens.  Such  was  the  noise  of  the  hail,  that  though 
there  was  much  lightning,  and  consequently  heavy  thunder, 
it  was  not  heard.  Although  only  what  is  called  the  tail  of 
the  storm  passed  over  our  station,  the  hail,  which  was  nearly 
half  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg,  barked  the  trees,  and  killed 
some  lambs. 

On  the  30th  of  March,  1825,  we  were  deeply  affected  to 
hear  of  the  death  of  Peclu,  the  young  prince.  This  unex- 
pected shock  threw  a  gloom  over  the  whole  tribe,  and  was, 
as  might  have  been  expected,  a  severe  stroke  to  his  parents, 
who  were  dotingly  fond  of  him,  particularly  since  his  visit  to 
the  Cape.  To  us  it  was  a  mysterious  event ;  we  had  been 
promising  ourselves  that  his  excellent  disposition  and  com- 
paratively enlightened  mind  would  eventually  produce  a 
salutary  change  among  his  countrymen  ;  but  God  saw  fit, 
for  wise  reasons,  to  deprive  us  of  that  means,  that  we  might 
not  be  found  trusting  in  an  arm  of  flesh.  He  died  of  what 
is  called  kuatsi,  a  disease  which  appears  to  be  endemial, 
which  assumes  the  forna  of  a  carbuncle,  and  carries  off  many 
cattle  ;  and  as  the  natives  "will  on  no  account  abstain  from 
eating  the  dead  meat,  they  are  often  attacked  by  it.  If  it 
happens  to  be  near  a  vital  part,  as  in  the  case  of  Peclu,  it  is 
very  frequently  fatal ;  if  internal  and  not  suppurating  out- 
wardly, it  is  always  so.  The  meat  of  the  goat  which  has 
died  of  this  disease  is  particularly  noxious,  and  I  have  known 
persons  after  having  eaten  it,  cut  off  in  five  days.  It  is 
always  accompanied  by  considerable  swelling  attended  with 
great  stupor,  though  with  comparatively  little  pain.  I  write 
from  experience,  having  had  one  on  my  right  eyebrow, 
which  gave  my  constitution  a  severe  shock,  and  from  its 
position  my  recovery  was  considered  very  doubtfid.  From 
long  observ'ation,  I  have  found  it  important  to  give  aperient 


292  CRUEL    SUPERSTITION, 

medicines,  scarify  the  pustules,  and  get  some  one  to  suck  it, 
either  with  an  instrument  or  the  mouth,  and  to  apply  any 
kind  of  cataplasm  to  promote  a  discharge  ;  it  is  also  import- 
ant as  much  as  possible  to  prevent  the  individual  ii:om 
being  exposed  to  the  cold  air. 

In  this  disorder,  as  in  every  other,  when  a  person  of 
influence  is  taken  ill  or  dies,  the  cause  is  eagerly  sought 
after,  not  in  the  nature  of  the  disease,  but  in  some  person 
who  was  at  enmity  with  the  deceased,  or  who  had  acted  in 
some  way  to  excite  suspicion.  This  was  very  natural  in 
them,  as  they  did  not  believe  in  an  overruling  Providence. 
It  was  the  universal  belief,  as  well  as  their  wish,  that  men 
would  live  alway,  and  that  death  Avas  entirely  the  result  of 
witchcraft,  or  medicine  imparted  by  some  malignant  hand, 
or  of  some  casualty  or  want  of  food.  The  death  of  the  poor 
excited  but  little  sorrow,  and  less  surmise  ;  on  the  other 
hand,  I  have  known  instances  when  the  domestics  of  a 
principal  man  have  been  murdered  in  cold  blood,  just 
because  it  was  suspected  that  they  had  something  to  do  with 
their  master's  sickness.  Approaching  the  abode  of  a  sick 
chief,  I  was  informed  by  one  of  his  attendants,  with  an  air 
of  satisfaction,  that  he  would  now  recover,  as  two  of  his 
servants  who  had  been  seen  scattering  more  (medicine,) 
somewhere  in  the  neighbourhood  of  his  dwelling,  had  just 
been  speared ;  and  while  he  yet  spoke  the  stifled  sighs  and 
moans  of  their  widows  and  children  were  entering  my  ears. 
This  chief  is  now  a  Christian. 

When  Peclu  died,  suspicion  fell  on  the  parents  of  his 
bride,  from  some  little  misunderstanding  which  had  existed 
at  his  marriage.  They  would  all  have  been  butchered  had 
not  the  more  enlightened  views  of  Mahura,  the  king's 
brother,  who  had  received  orders  to  carry  the  bloody  pur- 
pose into  effect,  induced  him  to  apprise  the  chief  and  his 
family  of  their  danger,  that  they  might  flee  to  the  Barolongs, 
which  they  did.  Maliura  and  his  warriors  pursued,  but  de- 
termined not  to  overtake  them.  As  the  law  of  retaliation 
was  a  principle  of  jurisprudence  recognised  by  the  Bechuana 
rulers,  events  like  those  recorded  were  ofalmo.st  daily  recur- 
rence during  the  first  years  of  the  mission,  but  which  now 
rarely  happen,  even  for  hundreds  of  miles  beyond  the  mis- 
sionary stations.  Thus  the  Gospel,  which  has  brought  the 
startling  sound  of  immortality  to  the  savage  ear,  exerts  as  a 
secondary  benefit,  a  salutary  influence  even  among  those 
who  do  not  receive  it,  and  who  remain  comparatively 
ignorant  of  its  chief  requirements.     There  are  now  instan- 


RENEWED    ATTACKS.  293 

ces  of  judicial  inflictions,  which  though  not  characterized  by 
the  long  digested  jurisprudence  of  civilized  countries,  are 
nevertheless  immense  improvements,  and  as  the  influence 
of  the  Gospel  extends,  it  will  transform  the  dictates  of 
savage  ferocity  into  measures  suggested  by  mercy  and 
wisdom. 

Peclu  died,  and  his  disconsolate  parents  and  friends 
sorrowed  without  hope,  and  agreeably  to  their  notions  hated 
the  sight  of  the  fold  in  which  he  was  interred,  the  house 
where  he  had  dwelt,  the  streets  and  lanes  where  he  was 
wont  to  be  seen,  and  indeed  every  thing  associated  with  the 
beloved  object.  This  prepared  the  people  for  what  followed, 
for  though  they  had  returned  to  the  town,  the  hearts  of  the 
relations  of  the  deceased  longed  to  abandon  it.  While 
witnessing  these  trying  and  mysterious  providences,  we  were 
often  deeply  affected,  to  see  that  all  our  efforts  to  induce 
them  to  improve  these  dispensations  were  of  no  avail.  "  Go 
and  teach  the  marauders  not  to  destroy  us,"  was  constantly 
thrown  in  our  teeth.  We  much  needed  divine  grace  to 
enable  us  to  persevere  ;  but  it  often  afforded  us  strong  con- 
solation to  know  that  we  were  remembered  in  our  native 
land,  the  multitude  of  voices  ever  ascending  to  the  throne 
of  God.  We  continued  our  public  services,  and  when  the 
people  would  not  come  to  us  we  went  to  them. 

About  this  time  another  powerful  body  from  the  Orange 
River,  with  horses  and  guns,  made  an  attack  on  the  tribes 
to  the  westvi^ard  of  our  station,  and  perpetrated  great  cruel- 
ties. The  people  again  fled  in  consternation,  and,  at  Mo- 
thibi's  request,  a  messenger  was  despatched  to  Griqua  Town, 
entreating  assistance  ;  but  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  Water- 
boer  to  affind  it,  however  willing  he  might  have  been  to  do 
so.  As  we  had  suffered  greatly  both  in  our  health  and  pro- 
perty, by  the  last  flight,  and  as  we  had  no  confidence  in  the 
old  tale  which  the  natives  invented,  that  the  enemy  would 
attack  us,  we  resolved  to  remain  at  our  post.  We  were  en- 
couraged in  this  by  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Hughes,  with  Mr.  Mil- 
ieu, a  mason,  and  a  few  Hottentots  from  Bethelsdorp,  to 
assist  us  in  the  public  works  of  the  new  station.  We  barri- 
caded the  reed  walls  of  Mr.  Hamilton's  house  with  chests 
and  sacks,  that,  in  case  of  an  attack,  which  there  was  reason  * 
to  apprehend,  we  might  be  in  some  measure  shielded  from 
the  shot ;  but,  after  a  few  days  of  anxiety  and  alarm,  the 
enemy  departed,  contenting  themselves  with  large  spoils  of 
cattle.  The  natives  had  congregated  round  our  temporary 
dwelhngs ;  and  there  being  no  prospect  of  a  termination  to 

25* 


294  THE    KURUMAN    FOUNTAIN. 

the  distressing  inroads  from  the  Orange  River  and  Long 
Mountains,  the  people  finally  resolved  to  abandon  the  sta- 
tion. The  Bushmen  having  taken  many  of  their  cattle, 
they  appeared  inclined  to  forsake  the  Kuruman  River  alto- 
gether. The  arrival  of  the  six  men  and  their  families,  under 
these  circumstances,  rendered  our  situation  peculiarly  trying, 
from  the  want  of  supplies  to  support  them,  especially  in  a 
country  where  nothing  could  be  purchased.  A  hunter  was 
employed  to  obtain  game,  while  every  thing,  animate  and 
manimate,  calculated  in  any  measure  to  appease  hunger, 
was  ravenously  seized  for  that  purpose,  in  order  to  prosecute 
our  plan  of  building  the  houses,  and  leading  out  the  water 
from  the  bed  of  the  river,  supplied  by  one  of  the  finest  foun- 
tains in  South  Africa.  This  was  a  work  of  great  labour, 
and  carried  forward  under  the  most  embarrassing  circum- 
stances. Such  was  the  liability  to  attack,  that  the  men, 
though  labouring  not  half  a  mile  from  our  dwellings,  found 
it  necessary  to  take  their  guns  with  them  for  fear  of  a  sur- 
prise. Our  large  water-ditch,  extending  nearly  two  miles, 
was  indeed  dug,  as  the  walls  of  our  houses  had  been  built, 
"  in  troublous  times." 

The  Kuruman  fountain  issues  from  caverns  in  a  little  hill, 
which  is  composed  of  blue  and  grey  limestone,  mixed  with 
considerable  quantities  of  flint,  but  not  in  nodules  as  found 
in  beds  of  chalk.  From  the  appearance  of  the  caves,  and 
irregularity  of  the  strata,  one  might  be  led  to  suppose  they 
have  been  the  results  of  internal  convulsions-  The  water, 
which  is  pure  and  wholesome,  is  rather  calcareous.  It  is 
evident  that  its  source  must  be  at  a  very  great  distance,  as 
all  the  rains  which  fall  on  the  hills  and  plains  in  one  year, 
for  forty  miles  round,  could  not  possibly  supply  such  a  stream 
for  one  month.  Although  there  are  no  sandstone  formations 
nearer  than  thirty  miles,  great  quantities  of  exceedingly 
fine  sand  come  from  it,  and  it  appears  to  boil  up  out  of  the 
smaller  springs  in  front  of  the  larger,  and  is  to  be  found  in 
deposit  in  the  bed  of  the  river  for  miles  distant.  The  sub- 
stratum of  the  whole  of  the  country,  as  far  as  the  Orange 
River,  is  compact  limestone,  which  in  some  of  the  Ham- 
hana  hills  rises  considerably  above  the  neighbouring  plain  ; 
but  these  only  form  the  basis  of  argillaceous  hills  and  iron- 
schi.st,  on  the  top  of  which  the  compass  moves  at  random, 
or  according  to  the  position  in  which  it  is  placed.  The  strata 
of  these  schistose  formations  are  often  found  to  bend  and 
curve  into  all  shapes,  frequently  exhibiting  an  appearance 
of  golden  asbestos,  but  extremely  hard.     The  common  blue 


MR.    hughes' S    ILLNESS.  295 

asbestos  is  to  be  found  at  Gamaperi,  in  the  neighbourhood, 
the  same  as  that  found  near  the  Orange  River.  The  hme- 
stone  extends  to  Old  Lithako,  where  there  are  hills  of  basalt 
and  primitive  limestone  ;  among  which  masses  of  serpentine 
rock,  of  various  colours,  usually  called  pipe-stone,  are  to  be 
met  with.  Beyond  the  Batlapi  dominions,  towards  the  Mo- 
lapo,  there  is  abundance  of  granite  green  stone,  etc.,  while 
the  limestone  foundation,  towards  the  west,  terminates  among 
the  sandy  wilds  of  the  southern  Zahara.  Fountains,  through- 
out the  whole  extent  of  the  limestone  basin,  are  precarious, 
independent  of  the  causes  described  in  a  preceding  chapter; 
nor  does  that  of  the  Kuruman  continue  to  send  forth  the 
torrents  it  once  did.  The  calcareous  effects  of  the  water  on 
the  roots  of  reeds,  and  other  substances,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  small  fountains,  show  that  they  were  once  very  large. 
That  of  the  Kuruman  River,  which,  like  many  others  in 
South  Africa,  is  largest  at  its  source,  is,  by  evaporation  and 
absorption,  lost  in  its  bed,  about  ten  miles  to  the  north-west. 
The  Matluarin,  JVIashua,  and  Molapo,  join  the  Kuruman, 
"which  was  once  a  large  river,  emptying  itself  into  the  Ga- 
riep,  at  a  distance  below  the  waterfall. 

During  this  period  we  were  the  subjects  of  great  domes- 
tic afflictions.  Five  days  after  Mrs.  M.'s  confinement  of  a 
boy,  he  was  removed  by  death,  and  his  remains  were  the 
first  committed  to  the  burying  ground  on  the  new  station, 
Mr.  Hughes,  who  began  early  to  feel  the  effects  of  the  cli- 
mate, caught  cold,  while  removing  fruit-trees  from  the  lower 
station  to  his  garden,  and  was  brought  to  the  very  gates  of 
deatlL  When,  however,  we  had  all  given  him  up,  he  be- 
gan to  amend  ;  but  such  was  the  shock  that  his  frame  re- 
ceived from  the  severity  of  the  disease,  that  his  perfect  re- 
covery continued  for  a  long  time  very  doubtful ;  nor  did  he 
regain  his  wonted  strength  until  he  had  made  a  visit  to  the 
coast,  on  account  of  Mrs.  Hughes's  health  ;  after  which  he 
removed  to  the  Griqua  mission,  in  1827,  where  he  has  since 
laboured  with  success. 

Our  situation  during  the  infancy  of  the  new  station,  I  shall 
not  attempt  to  describe,  though  it  might  yield  some  profita- 
ble suggestions  to  those  who  may  be  similarly  situated. 
Some  of  our  newly  arrived  assistants,  finding  themselves  in 
a  country  where  the  restraints  of  law  were  unknown,  and 
not  being  under  the  influence  of  religion,  would  not  submit 
to  the  privations  whicdi  we  patiently  endured,  but  murmured 
exceedingly.  Armed  robbers  were  continually  making  in- 
roads, tlireatening  death  and  extirpation.     We  were  com- 


296  DISCOURAGING    PROSPECTS. 

pelled  to  work  daily  at  every  species  of  labour,  most  of  which 
was  very  heavy,  under  a  burning  sun,  and  in  a  dry  climate, 
where  only  one  shower  had  fallen  during  the  preceding 
twelve  months.  These  are  only  imperfect  samples  of  our 
engagements  for  several  years  at  the  new  station,  while  at 
the  same  time,  the  language,  which  was  entirely  oral,  had 
to  be  acquired.  A  spelling-book,  catechism,  and  small  por- 
tions of  Scripture,  were  prepared,  and  even  sent  to  the  Cape 
to  be  printed  in  1825  ;  but,  as  if  our  measure  of  disappoint- 
ment was  not  full,  they  were  by  some  mistake  sent  to  En- 
gland, and  before  they  could  possibly  return  to  our  station, 
we  might  have  had  several  improved  editions. 

The  infection  of  war  and  plunder  was  such,  that  scarcely 
a  tribe  or  town  in  the  whole  country  was  exempt.  The 
Batlapis,  who  of  all  the  neighbouring  tribes  had  suffered  the 
least,  owing  to  their  proximity  to  our  station,  instead  of  being 
thankful  for  this,  authorized  one  of  their  number,  the  king's 
brother,  to  go  with  a  body  of  warriors  and  attack  the  out- 
posts of  the  Bauangketsi.  They  proceeded  as  far  as  the 
Barolongs,  where  they  met  with  the  Chief  Gontse,  who  re- 
ceived and  fed  them,  being  related  to  the  royal  family  of  the 
Batlapis.  Gontse,  who  was  an  amiable  and  sensible  man, 
dissuaded  them  from  such  a  daring  attempt,  which  could 
only  terminate  in  their  destruction.  The  chief  of  the  party 
convinced  of  this,  resolved  on  returning,  but  watching  an  op- 
portunity, when  the  cattle  of  the  town  where  they  had  re- 
ceived such  hospitality  and  good  counsel  had  gone  to  the 
fields,  seized  on  them,  and  having  two  or  three  guns  com- 
pelled their  owners  to  flee.  Elated  with  the  success  of  this 
disgraceful  achievement,  they  returned  to  the  neighbourhood 
of  our  station.  We  said  nothing  on  the  subject,  except  that 
our  hearts  were  sad.  The  chief  of  this  band  of  robbers,  in- 
duced his  brother,  Mothibi,  to  convene  a  public  meeting,  in 
order  to  make  a  kind  of  bravado.  Spies  and  sycophants  had 
been  sent  to  hear  our  judgment  on  this  subject,  but  they 
learned  nothing  more  or  less  than  that  "  we  were  sorry." 
This  having  displeased  him,  after  pointing  out  to  the 
audience,  that  we  missionaries  were  the  only  human  beings 
in  the  world  who  did  not  steal  cattle,  he  declared  that  instead 
of  being  thereby  awed,  he  would  .show  them  and  the  tribes 
around,  that  if  his  name  had  hitherto  been  Molala  (poor,) 
henceforth  he  would  be  a  lion,  and  such  should  be  his  name 

Thus  he  spoke,  and  departed  with  a  company  to  hunt. 
One  afternoon,  seeing  a  giraffe  in  the  distance,  he  seized  his 
spear,  mounted  his  horse,  and  ordered  his  attendant  to  fol- 


A    CHIEF    EATEN    BY    A   LION.  297 

low  with  his  gun  on  another.  The  master  being  on  the 
swiftest  animal,  and  evening  coming  on,  he  disappeared  on 
the  undulating  plain,  and  the  servant  returned  to  the  rendez- 
vous. Next  day,  the  latter  with  some  companions  pursued 
tho  trail,  found  where  his  master  had  come  up  with  the  gi- 
raffe, and  appeared  to  have  made  attempts  to  stab  it,  and 
then  from  the  course  he  took,  it  was  evident  he  had  wan- 
dered. They  slept,  and  with  the  returning  day  continued 
to  pursue  his  footmarks,  which  in  the  evening  brought  them 
to  a  spot  where  a  number  of  lions  had  been.  Beside  a  bush, 
where  they  supposed  the  chieftain  had  laid  himself  down 
the  second  night,  they  found  the  horse,  killed  by  the  lions, 
but  scarcely  touched,  while  the  man,  his  clothes,  shoes,  sad- 
dle and  bridle  were  eaten  up,  and  nothing  left  but  the  cra- 
nium. What  was  rather  remarkable,  the  master,  seeing  he 
was  leaving  his  servant  in  the  rear,  turned  about  and  gave 
him  his  tinder-box  for  fear  of  losing  it  himself.  Had  he  re- 
tained this,  he  might  have  made  a  fire,  which  would  have 
protected  him  from  the  lions,  and  led  to  his  earlier  discove- 
ry. This  event  was  too  striking  to  be  overlooked  by  the 
people,  who  had  frequently  heard  of  a  Divine  Providence, 
but  they  were  silent  and  endeavoured  to  relieve  their  minds 
by  driving  from  their  memories  the  visage  and  vain  boast- 
ings of  him,  who  had  been  devoured  by  the  very  beast  of 
prey,  whose  name  and  powers  were  to  be  his  motto,  and  the 
characteristics  of  his  future  actions. 

The  Batlapis  continued  extremely  unsettled,  indeed,  the 
whole  country  appeared  like  the  ocean  in  a  storm; — its  in- 
habitants like  the  waves,  alternately  rolling  forward,  and 
receding,  carrying  with  them  devastation  and  misery.  Nu- 
merous successful  commandos  from  the  south,  were  out  on 
the  spirits  of  the  natives,  and  compelled  them  to  live  a  vag- 
rant life,  ready  to  start  on  the  first  alarm.  Some  of  our 
Hottentot  assistants  also  left  us  in  the  midst  of  our  labours, 
and  eventually  a  report  coming  from  Griqua-land,  that  Wa- 
terboer  and  Cornelius  Kok,  despairing  of  aid  from  the  colo- 
ny, had  joined  the  marauders,  all  were  alarmed  ;  and  al- 
though we  were  able  to  convince  them  that  the  reports  were 
unfounded,  we  could  not  allay  their  fears,  so  that  even  one 
who  had  formerly,  by  his  Christian  conduct  been  a  source  of 
comfort,  as  well  as  an  assistance  in  our  work,  abandoning 
us  also.  Thus  we  were  left,  but  were  still  wonderfully 
supported,  realizing  the  fulfilment  of  the  gracious  promise, 
"  As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  Some  of  the 
poorer  Bechuanas  had  learned  a  httle  of  wagon  driving,  and 


298  LOCUSTS. 

other  useful  things,  so  that  we  could  occasionally  get  some 
assistance  from  them. 

After  several  years  of  drought,  we  had,  in  the  early  part 
of  1826,  been  blessed  with  plentiful  rains,  and  the  earth  was 
speedily  covered  with  verdure  ;  but  our  hopes  of  abundance 
were  soon  cut  off  by  swarms  of  locusts,  which  iniiested  every 
part  of  the  country,  devouring  every  species  of  vegetation. 
They  had  not  been  seen  for  more  than  twenty  years  befoiej 
but  have  never  entirely  left  the  country  since.  They  might 
be  seen  passing  over  like  an  immense  cloud,  extending  from 
the  earth  to  a  considerable  height,  producing,  with  their 
wings,  a  great  noise.  They  always  proceed  nearly  in  the 
direction  of  the  wind,  those  in  advance  descending  to  eat 
any  thing  they  light  upon,  and  rising  in  the  rear,  as  the  cloud 
advances.  "  They  have  no  king,  but  they  go  forth,  all  of 
them,  by  bands,"  and  are  gathered  together  in  one  place  in 
the  evening,  where  they  rest,  and  from  their  immense  num- 
bers they  weigh  down  the  shrubs,  and  lie  at  times  one  on  the 
other,  to  the  depth  of  several  inches.  In  the  morning  when 
the  sun  begins  to  diffuse  warmth,  they  take  wing,  leaving  a 
large  extent  without  one  vestige  of  verdure  ;  even  the  plants 
and  shrubs  are  barked.  Wherever  they  halt  for  the  night, 
or  alight  during  the  day,  they  become  a  prey  to  other 
animals,  and  are  eaten  not  only  by  beasts  of  prey,  but  by  all 
kinds  of  game,  serpents,  lizards,  and  frogs.  When  passing 
through  the  air,  kites,  vultures,  crows,  and  particularly  the 
locust  bird,  as  it  is  called,  may  be  seen  devouring  them. 
When  a  swarm  alights  on  gardens,  or  even  fields,  the  crop 
for  one  season  is  destroyed.  I  have  ob.served  a  field  of 
young  maize  devoured  in  the  space  of  two  hours.  They  eat 
not  only  tobacco,  and  every  thing  vegetable,  but  also  flannel 
and  linen.  The  natives  embrace  every  opportunity  of 
gathering  them,  which  can  be  done  during  the  night.  When- 
ever the  cloud  alights  at  a  place  not  very  distant  from  a 
town,  the  inhabitants  turn  out  wdth  sacks,  and  often  with 
pack-oxen,  gather  loads,  and  return  the  next  day  with 
millions. 

It  has  happened  that  in  gathering  them,  individuals  have 
been  bitten  by  serpents,  and  on  one  occasion  a  woman  had 
been  travelling  several  miles  with  a  large  bundle  of  locu.sts 
on  her  head,  when  a  serpent  which  had  been  put  into  the 
sack  with  them,  found  its  way  out.  The  woman  supposing 
it  to  be  a  thong  dangling  about  her  shoulders,  laid  hold  of  it 
with  her  hand,  and  feeling  that  it  was  alive,  instantly  pre- 
cipitated both  to  the  ground,  and  fled.      The  locusts  are  pre- 


YOUNG   LOCUSTS    MOST   DESTRUCTIVE.  299 

pared  for  eating,  by  simple  boiling,  or  rather  steaming,  as 
they  are  put  into  a  large  pot  with  a  little  water,  and  cover- 
ed closely  up  ;  after  boiling  for  a  short  time,  they  are  taken 
out  and  spread  on  mats  in  the  sun  to  dry,  when  they  are 
winnowed,  something  like  corn,  to  clear  them  of  their  legs 
and  wings  ;  and  when  perfectly  dry,  are  put  into  sacks,  or 
laid  upon  the  house  floor  in  a  heap.  The  natives  eat  them 
whole,  adding  a  little  salt  when  they  can  obtain  it ;  or  they 
pound  them  in  a  wooden  mortar,  and  when  they  have  re- 
duced them  to  something  like  meal,  they  mix  them  with  a 
little  water,  and  make  a  kind  of  cold  stir-about. 

When  locusts  abound,  the  natives  become  quite  fat,  and 
would  even  reward  any  old  lady  who  said  that  she  had 
coaxed  them  to  alight  within  reach  of  the  inhabitants.  They 
are,  on  the  whole,  not  bad  food  ;  and  when  hunger  has  made 
them  i^alatable,  are  eaten  as  matter  of  course.  When  well 
fed  they  are  almost  as  good  as  shrimps.  There  is  a  species 
not  eatable,  with  reddish  wings,  rather  larger  than  those 
described,  and  which,  though  less  numerous,  are  more  de- 
structive. The  exploits  of  these  armies,  fearful  as  they  are, 
bear  no  comparison  to  the  devastation  they  make  before 
they  are  able  to  fly,  in  which  state  they  are  called  "  boyane." 
They  receive  a  new  name  in  every  stage  of  their  growth, 
till  they  reach  maturity,  when  they  are  called  '"letsie." 
They  never  emerge  from  the  sand,  where  they  were  depo- 
sited as  eggs,  till  rain  has  fallen  to  raise  grass  for  the  young 
progeny.  In  their  course,  from  which  nothing  can  divert 
them,  they  appear  like  a  dark  red  stream,  extending  often 
more  than  a  mile  broad  ;  and  from  their  incessant  hopping, 
the  dust  appears  as  if  alive.  Nothing  but  a  broad  and  rapid 
torrent  could  arrest  their  progress,  and  that  only  by  drown- 
ing them  ;  and  if  one  reached  the  opposite  shore,  it  would 
keep  the  original  direction.  A  small  rivulet  avails  nothing, 
as  they  swim  dexterously.  A  line  of  fire  is  no  barrier,  as 
they  leap  into  it  till  it  is  extinguished,  and  the  others  walk 
over  the  dead.  Walls  and  houses  form  no  impediment ; 
they  climb  the  very  chimneys,  either  obliquely  or  straight 
over  such  obstacles,  just  as  their  instinct  leads  them.  All 
other  earthly  powers,  from  the  fiercest  lion  to  a  marshalled 
army,  are  nothing  compared  with  these  diminutive  insects. 
The  course  they  have  followed,  is  stripped  of  every  leaf  or 
blade  of  verdure.  It  is  enough  to  make  the  inhabitants  of  a 
village  turn  pale  to  hear  that  they  are  coming  in  a  straight 
line  to  their  gardens.  When  a  country  is  not  extensive,  and 
is  bounded  by  the  sea,  the  scourge  is  soon  over,  the  winds 


300  A    CATTLE-HERD    MURDERED. 

carrying  them  away  like  clouds  to  the  watery  waste,  where 
they  alight  to  rise  no  more.  Thus  the  immense  flights 
which  pass  to  the  south  and  east,  rarely  return,  but  fresh 
supplies  are  always  pouring  down  from  the  north.  All  hu- 
man endeavours  to  diminish  their  numbers,  would  appear 
like  attempting  to  drain  the  ocean  by  a  pump. 

We  coudd  not,  however,  feel  otherwise  than  thankful  for 
this  visitation,  on  account  of  the  poor  ;  for  as  many  thou- 
sands of  cattle  had  been  taken  from  the  natives,  and  gar- 
dens to  an  immense  extent  destroyed,  many  hundreds  of 
families,  but  for  the  locusts,  must  have  perished  with  hun- 
ger. It  was  not  surprising  that  our  scanty  supplies,  which 
we  were  compelled  to  procure  from  a  distance,  were  seized 
by  the  hungry  people.  If  our  oxen  or  calves  were  allowed 
to  wander  out  of  sight,  they  were  instantly  stolen.  One  day 
two  noted  fellows  from  the  mountains  came  down  on  a  man 
who  had  the  charge  of  our  cattle,  murdered  him,  and  ran 
off  with  an  ox.  Some  time  before,  the  whole  of  our  calves 
disappeared ;  two  of  our  men  went  in  pursuit,  and  found  in 
the  ruins  of  an  old  town  the  remains  of  the  calves  laid  aside 
for  future  use.  On  tracing  the  footmarks  to  a  secluded  spot 
near  the  river,  they  found  the  thieves,  two  desperate-looking 
characters,  who,  seizing  their  bows  and  poisoned  arrows, 
dared  their  approach.  It  wovild  have  been  easy  for  our  men 
to  have  shot  them  on  the  spot,  but  their  only  object  was  to 
bring  them,  if  possible,  to  the  station.  After  adangerous  scuf- 
fle, one  fled,  and  the  other  precipitated  himself  into  a  pool  of 
water,  amidst  reeds,  where  he  stood  menacing  the  men  with 
his  drawn  bow,  till  they  at  last  succeeded  in  seizing  him. 
He  was  brought  to  the  station,  with  some  of  the  meat, 
which,  though  not  killed  in  the  most  delicate  manner,  was 
acceptable,  and  was  the  first  veal  we  ever  ate  there  ;  for 
calves  are  too  valuable  in  that  country  to  be  slaughtered, 
not  only  because  they  perpetuate  the  supply  of  milk  from  the 
cow,  but  are  reared  to  use  in  travelKng  and  agriculture. 

The  prisoner  had  a  most  forbidding  appearance,  and  we 
could  not  help  regarding  him  as  a  being  brutalized  by  hun- 
ger ;  and,  in  addition  to  a  defect  in  vision,  he  looked  like  one 
capable  of  perpetrating  any  action  without  remorse.  His 
replies  to  our  queries  and  expostulations,  were  something 
like  the  growlings  of  a  disappointed  hungry  beast  of  prey. 
There  were  no  authorities  in  the  country  to  which  we  could 
appeal,  and  the  conclusion  to  which  the  people  came,  was 
to  inflict  a  little  castigation,  while  one  of  the  natives  was  to 
whisper  in  his  ear,  that  he  must  flee  for  his  life.     Seeing  a 


A   REMARKABLE    CASE.  301 

young  man  drawing  near  with  a  gun,  he  took  to  nis  heels, 
and  the  man  firing  a  charge  of  loose  powder  after  him,  in- 
creased his  terror,  and  made  him  bound  into  the  marsh,  and 
flee  to  the  opposite  side,  thinking  himseli"  well  off  to  have 
escaped  with  his  life,  wliich  he  could  not  have  expected  from 
his  own  countrymen.  He  lived  for  a  time  at  a  neighbouring 
village,  where  he  was  wont  to  describe  in  graphic  style  his 
narrow  escape,  and  how  he  had  outrun  the  musket-ball. 
When  told  by  some  one  that  the  gun  was  only  to  frighten 
him,  he  saw  that  it  must  have  been  so ;  he  reasoned  on  our 
character,  made  inquiries,  and,  from  our  men  sparing  him  in 
the  first  instance,  and  ourselves  giving  him  food,  and  allow- 
ing him  to  run  off  after  he  had  received  a  few  strokes  with  a 
thong,  he  concluded  that  there  must  be  something  very  mer- 
ciful about  our  character  ;  and  at  last  he  made  his  appearance 
again  on  our  station.  He  was  soon  after  employed  as  a 
labourer,  embraced  the  Gospel,  and  has,  through  Divine 
grace,  continued  to  make  a  consistent  profession,  and  is  be- 
come an  example  of  intelhgence,  industry,  and  love. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

In  the  end  of  the  year  1826,  having  removed  into  our  new 
habitation,  and  the  state  of  the  country  being  somewhat 
more  tranquil,  a  journey  was  resolved  on  to  the  Barolongs, 
near  the  Molapo,  in  order  to  attend  exclusively  to  the  lan- 
guage which  hitherto  it  had  not  been  possible  to  do,  owing 
to  the  succession  of  manual  labour  connected  with  commen- 
cing a  new  station,  when  the  missionaries  must  be  at  the  be- 
ginning, middle,  and  end  of  every  thing.  Mr.  Hamilton, 
who  felt  that  his  advanced  age  was  a  serious  barrier  to  his 
acquisition  of  the  language,  was  anxious  for  my  progress,  and 
cheerfully  undertook  the  entire  labours  of  the  station  for  a 
short  season,  preaching  to  the  Batlapis  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  keeping  up  public  service  for  the  few  on  the  station. 
Two  attempts  had  been  previously  made  for  this  very  pur- 
pose, but  I  had  not  long  left  the  place  before,  in  both  m- 
stancesj  I  was  recalled  on  account  of  threatened  attacks.    As 

26 


302  AN    INTERVIEW   WITH   LIONS. 

it  was  taking  a  new  position  among  a  wild  people,  a  brief 
glance  at  nny  manner  of  life  may  yield  information,  and  in- 
terest the  mind  of  the  reader. 

Having  put  my  wagon  in  order,  taken  a  driver,  and  a  lit- 
tle boy  as  leader  of  the  oxen,  and  two  Barolongs,  who  were 
going  to  the  same  place,  I  left  the  station,  my  wife  and  fa- 
mily, for  an  absence  of  two  or  three  months.  Our  journey 
lay  over  a  wild  and  dreary  country,  inhabited  by  Balalas 
only,  and  but  a  sprinkling  of  these.  On  the  night  of  the 
third  day's  journey,  having  halted  at  a  pool  (Khokhole.)  we 
listened,  on  the  lonely  plain,  for  the  sound  of  an  inhabitant, 
but  all  was  silent.  We  could  discover  no  lights,  and,  amid 
tlie  darkness  were  unable  to  trace  footmarks  to  the  pool. 
We  let  loose  our  wearied  oxen  to  drink  and  graze,  but  as 
we  were  ignorant  of  the  character  of  the  company  with 
which  we  might  have  to  spend  the  night,  we  took  a  firebrand, 
and  examined  the  edges  of  the  pool  to  see,  from  the  imprints, 
what  animals  were  in  the  habit  of  drinking  there,  and,  with 
terror,  discovered  many  spoors  of  lions.  We  immediately 
collected  the  oxen,  and  brought  them  to  the  wagon,  to  which 
we  fastened  them  with  the  strongest  thongs  we  had,  having 
discovered  in  their  appearance  something  rather  wild,  indi- 
cating that  either  from  scent  or  sight,  they  knew  danger  was 
near.  The  two  Barolongs  had  brought  a  young  cow  with 
them,  and  though  I  recommended  their  making  her  fast  also, 
they  very  humorously  replied  that  she  was  too  wise  to  leave 
the  wagon  and  oxen,  even  though  a  lion  should  be  scented. 
We  took  a  little  supper,  which  was  followed  by  our  evening 
hymn,  and  prayer.  I  had  retired  only  a  few  minutes  to  my 
wagon  to  prepare  for  the  night,  when  the  whole  of  the  oxen 
started  to  their  feet. 

A  lion  had  seized  the  cow  only  a  few  steps  from  their 
tails,  and  dragged  it  to  the  distance  of  thirty  or  forty  yards, 
where  we  distinctly  heard  it  tearing  the  animal,  and  break- 
ing the  bones,  while  its  bellowings  were  most  pitiful.  When 
these  were  over,  I  seized  my  gun,  but  as  it  was  too  dark  to 
see  any  object  at  half  the  distance,  I  aimed  at  the  spot  where 
the  devouring  jaws  of  the  lion  were  heard.  I  fired  again 
and  again,  to  which  he  replied  with  tremendous  roars,  at  the 
same  time  making  a  rush  towards  the  wagon,  so  as  exceed- 
ingly to  terrify  the  oxen.  The  two  Barolongs  engaged  to 
take  firebrands,  advance  a  few  yards,  and  throw  them  at 
him,  so  as  to  afford  me  a  degree  of  light,  that  I  might  take 
aim,  the  place  being  bushy.  They  had  scarcely  discharged 
them  from  their  hands,  when  the  flame  went  out,  and  the 


FRESH   VISITORS.  303 

enraged  animal  rnshed  towards  them  with  siioh  swiftness, 
that  I  had  barely  time  to  turn  the  gun  and  fire  between  the 
men  and  the  lion,  and  providentially  the  ball  struck  the 
ground  immediately  under  his  head,  as  we  found  by  exami- 
nation the  following  morning.  From  this  surprise  he  return- 
ed, growling  dreadfully.  The  men  darted  through  some 
thorn-bushes  with  countenances  indicative  of  the  utmost  ter- 
ror. It  was  now  the  opinion  of  all  that  we  had  better  let 
him  alone  if  he  did  not  molest  us. 

Having  but  a  scanty  supply  of  wood  to  keep  up  a  fire,  one 
man  crept  among  the  bushes  on  one  side  of  the  pool,  while 
I  proceeded  for  the  same  purpose  on  the  other  side.  I  had 
not  gone  far,  when,  looking  upward  to  the  edge  of  the  small 
basin,  I  discerned  between  me  and  the  sky  four  animals, 
whose  attention  appeared  to  be  directed  to  me,  by  the  noise 
I  made  in  breaking  a  dry  stick.  On  closer  inspection,  I 
found  that  the  large,  round,  hairy-headed  visitors  were  lions  ; 
and  retreated  on  my  hands  and  feet  towards  the  other  side 
of  the  pool,  when  coming  to  my  wagon-driver,  to  inform  him 
of  our  danger,  I  found  him  looking,  with  no  little  alarm,  in 
an  opposite  direction,  and  with  good  reason,  as  no  fewer 
than  two  lions,  with  a  cub,  were  eyeing  us  both,  apparently 
as  uncertain  about  us  as  we  were  distrustful  of  them.  They 
appeared,  as  they  always  do  in  the  dark,  twice  the  usual 
size.  We  thankfully  decamped  to  the  wagon,  and  sat  down 
to  keep  alive  our  scanty  fire,  while  we  listened  to  the  lion 
tearing  and  devouring  his  prey.  When  any  of  the  other 
hungry  lions  dared  to  approach,  he  would  pursue  them  for 
some  paces,  with  a  horrible  howl,  which  made  our  poor  oxen 
tremble,  and  produced  anything  but  agreeable  sensations  in 
ourselves  We  had  reason  for  alarm,  lest  any  of  the  six  lions 
we  saw,  fearless  of  our  small  fire,  might  rush  in  among  us. 
The  two  Barolongs  were  grudging  the  lion  his  fat  meal,  and 
would  now  and  then  break  the  silence  with  a  deep  sigh,  and 
expressions  of  regret  that  such  a  vagabond  lion  should  have 
such  a  feast  on  their  cow,  which  they  anticipated  would 
have  afforded  therai  many  a  draught  of  luscious  milk.  Be- 
fore the  day  dawned,  having  deposited  nearly  the  whole  of 
the  carcase  in  his  stomach,  he  collected  the  head,  backbone, 
parts  of  the  legs,  the  paunch,  which  he  emptied  of  its  con- 
tents, and  the  two  clubs  which  had  been  thrown  at  him,  and 
walked  off',  leaving  nothing  but  some  fragments  of  bones, 
and  one  of  my  balls,  which  had  hit  the  carcase  instead  of 
himself 

When  it  was  light  Ave  examined  the  spot,  and  found,  from 


304  A  lion's  meal. 

the  foot-marks  that  the  Hon  was  a  large  one,  and  had  de- 
voured the  cow  himself.  I  had  some  difEculty  in  believing 
this,  but  was  fully  convinced  by  the  Barolongs  pointing  out 
to  me  that  the  foot-marks  of  the  other  lions  had  not  come 
within  thirty  yards  of  the  spot,  two  jackals  only  had  ap- 
proached to  lick  up  any  little  leavings.  The  men  pursued 
the  spoor  to  find  the  fragments,  where  the  lion  had  deposited 
them,  while  he  retired  to  a  thicket  to  sleep  during  the  day. 
I  had  often  heard  how  much  a  large,  hungry  lion  would  eat, 
but  nothing  less  than  a  demonstration  would  have  convinced 
me  that  it  was  possible  for  him  to  have  eaten  all  the  flesh 
of  a  good  heifer,  and  many  of  the  bones,  for  scarcely  a  rib 
was  left,  and  even  some  of  the  marrow-bones  were  broken 
as  if  with  a  hammer. 

Having  discovered  a  small  village  on  a  neighbouring 
height,  although  it  was  the  Sabbath,  we  thought  it  quite 
right  and  lawful  to  inyoke  our  oxen,  and  leave  a  spot  haunt- 
ed with  something  worse  than  ghosts.  When  we  told  our 
tale  to  the  natives,  they  expressed  no  surprise  whatever,  but 
only  regretted  that  the  lion  should  have  had  such  a  feast, 
while  they  were  so  hungry.  These  people  were,  as  their 
name  "  Balala "  signifies,  poor  indeed,  and  never  before 
having  either  seen  or  heard  a  missionary,  they  exhibited 
melancholy  proofs  of  human  depravity  and  palpable  igno- 
rance. I  talked  long  to  them,  to  convince  them  that  there 
was  something  else  beyond  eating  and  drinking,  which  ought 
to  command  our  attention.  This  was  to  them  inexplicable, 
while  the  description  I  gave  of  the  character  of  God,  and 
our  sinful  and  helpless  condition,  amused  them  only,  and 
extorted  some  expressions  of  sympathy,  that  a  Khosi  king, 
as  they  called  me,  should  talk  such  foolishness. 

Leaving  this  village,  after  travelling  for  two  days  in  a  N. 
N.  E.  direction  over  a  plain  country,  passing  Mothothobo, 
and  other  dry  river  beds,  where  one  would  suppose  water 
had  not  flowed  for  the  last  thousand  years,  we  reached  Cho- 
aing  as  it  is  called,  from  Lechoai,  (salt,)  and  halted  at  the 
village  of  Bogachu,  a  Barolong  chief,  a  very  intelligent 
young  man,  with  whom  I  had  some  previous  acquaintance. 
At  this  place,  and  at  Setabeng  about  twenty  miles  distant, 
where  a  great  number  of  Barolongs  and  Batlaros  dwelt,  I 
spent  ten  weeks  attending  to  the  language.  There  was 
certainly  neither  personal  comfort,  nor  pleasure  to  be  had 
during  my  stay,  being  compelled  to  live  a  semi-savage  life, 
among  heathenish  dance  and  song,  and  immeasurable  heaps 
of  dirt  and  filth.     It  was  not  a  proper  town,  but  a  compara- 


COMPANY    AND    ASSISTANCE,  305 

tively  temporary  abode,  to  which  the  people  had  fled  from 
the  attacks  made  on  the  Batlapis  by  Jacob  Cloete  and  his 
followers.  People  in  this  situation,  and  indeed  all  living  a 
nomade  life,  become  extremely  filthy  in  their  habits.  My 
object  being  to  obtain  as  much  native  society  as  possible,  to 
which  they  had  not  the  shadow  of  an  objection,  I  was  ne- 
cessarily, while  sitting  with  them  at  their  work  in  their  folds 
and  inclosure.s,  exposed  to  myriads  of  very  unpleasant  com- 
pany, which  made  the  night  worse  than  the  day.  The  peo- 
ple were  kind,  and  my  blundering  in  the  language  gave  rise 
to  many  bursts  of  laughter.  Never  in  one  instance,  would 
an  individual  correct  a  word  or  sentence,  till  he  or  she  had 
mimicked  the  original  so  effectually,  as  to  give  great  merri- 
ment to  others.  They  appeared  delighted  with  my  compa- 
ny, especially  as  I  could,  when  meat  was  scarce,  take  my 
gun  and  shoot  a  rhinoceros,  or  some  other  animal,  when  a 
night  of  feasting  and  talking,  as  if  they  had  had  a  barrel  of 
spirits  among  them,  would  follow.  They  thought  themselves 
quite  lucky  in  having  such  company,  as  one,  who  could  sup- 
ply them  occasionally  with  both  food  and  medicine. 

Bogachu,  whom  I  might  call  my  host,  daily  allowed  me  a 
little  milk  for  tea.  He  was  an  interesting  character,  and 
though  not  tall  had  great  dignity  about  his  person,  as  well 
as  much  politeness  of  manner.  As  the  people  had  no  gar- 
dens, the  women  had  very  little  to  do,  and  they  considered 
it  quite  a  luxury,  to  spend  a  couple  of  hours  in  noisy  and 
often  deafening  conversation  at  my  wagon.  Every  opportu- 
nity was  gladly  embraced  in  which  I  could  impart  instruc- 
tion to  the  people  of  the  different  villages  around,  which 
were  inhabited  by  Barolongs,  Bamairis,  and  some  Bahu- 
rutsi  refugees  from  Kurrechane.  My  preaching  and  speak- 
ing did  indeed  appear  to  be  casting  seed  by  the  wayside  or 
on  the  flinty  rock,  while  they  would  gravely  ask,  if  I  were 
in  earnest,  and  believed  that  there  was  such  a  Being  as  I  de- 
scribed. It  was  indeed  painful  to  hear  them  turning  the 
theme  of  man  s  redemption  and  the  Cross  into  ridicule,  and 
making  a  sport  of  immortality. 

The  people,  to  please  me,  would  assemble  on  the  Sab- 
bath, as  I  told  them  I  could  not  be  happy  without  telling 
them  about  their  souls  and  another  world.  One  day,  while 
describing  the  day  of  judsment,  several  of  my  hearers  ex- 
pressed great  concern  at  the  idea  of  all  their  cattle  being 
destroyed,  together  with  their  ornaments.  They  never  for 
one  moment  allow  their  thoughts  to  dwell  on  death,  which 
is  according  to  their  views  nothing  less  than   aiuiihilation. 

26* 


306  MANNER    OF    LIFE. 

Their  supreme  happiness  consists  in  having  ahundance  of 
meat.  Asking  a  man  who  was  more  grave  and  thoughtful 
than  his  companions  what  was  the  finest  sight  he  could  de- 
sire, he  instantly  replied,  "  A  great  fire  covered  with  pots 
full  of  meat ;"  adding,  "  how  ugly  the  fire  looks  without  a 
pot  !"* 

My  situation  was  not  very  well  suited  for  study,  among  a 
noisy  rabble  and  a  constant  influx  of  beggars.  Writing  was 
a  work  of  great  difficulty,  owing  to  the  flies  crowding  into 
the  inkhorn  or  clustering  round  the  point  of  the  pen,  and 
pursuing  it  on  the  paper,  drinking  the  ink  as  fast  as  it  flowed. 
The  night  brought  little  relief,  for  as  soon  as  the  candle  was 
lighted,  innumerable  insects  swarmed  around  so  as  to  put  it 
out.  When  I  had  occasion  to  hunt,  in  order  to  supply  the 
wants  of  myself  and  people,  a  troop  of  men  would  follow, 
and  as  soon  as  a  rhinoceros  or  any  other  animal  was  shot,  a 
fire  was  made  and  some  would  be  roasting,  while  the  others 
would  be  cutting  and  tearing  away  at  the  ponderous  carca.se, 
which  is  soon  dissected.  During  these  operations  they  would 
exhibit  all  the  gestures  of  heathenish  joj?^,  making  an  uproar 
as  if  a  town  were  on  fire.  I  do  not  wonder  that  Mr.  Camp- 
bell once  remarked  on  a  similar  occasion,  that  from  their 
noise  and  gestures  he  did  not  know  his  travelling  companions. 
Having  once  shot  a  rhinoceros,  the  men  surrounded  it  M'ith 
roaring  congratulation.  In  vain  I  shouted  that  it  was  not 
dead,  a  dozen  spears  were  thrust  into  it,  when  up  started  the 
animal  in  a  fury,  and  tearing  up  the  ground  with  his  horn, 
made  every  one  fly  with  terror.  These  animals  were  very 
numerous  in  this  part  of  the  country  ;  they  are  not  gregari- 
ous, more  than  four  or  five  being  seldom  seen  together, 
though  I  once  observed  nine  following  each  other  to  the 
water.  They  fear  no  enemy  but  man,  and  are  fearless  of 
him  when  wounded  and  pursued.  The  lion  fl.ies  before 
them  like  a  cat ;  the  mohohu,  tlie  largest  species,  has  been 
known  even  to  kill  the  elephant,  by  thrusting  his  horn  into 
his  ribs.  This  genus  is  called  by  tlie  Bechuanas,  chuhiru  ; 
and  the  four  distinct  species  have  more  than  once  been 
pointed  out  to  me  when  they  have  all  been  within  sight,  the 
mohohu,  kheiliua,  and  the  broila  or  kenengyanc.\     The  last, 

*  A  rourrh  kind  of  earthenware  made  by  all  the  Bcchuana  tribes,  and 
which  stands  the  fire  well. 

t  Not  having  brought  with  me  my  memoranda  of  names,  character 
and  instincts  of  game,  I  cannot  recall  the  name  of  the  fourth,  which  is 
distinguished  from  the  klmllna  by  the  position  of  its  ears  and  the  forma- 
tion of  its  head.  There  are  also  other  marks  by  which  the  natives  dis- 
tinguisli  them. 


KINDS    OF    GAME.  307 

though  the  smallest  with  the  shortest  horns,  is  the  most 
fierce,  and  consequently  they  are  the  last  that  retire  from 
populous  regions,  while  the  other  species,  owing  to  their 
nu»re  timid  liahits.  seek  the  recesses  of  the  interior  wilds. 

Being  in  want  of  food,  and  not  liking  to  spend  a  harassing 
day,  exposed  to  a  hot  sun,  on  a  thirsty  plain,  in  quest  of  a 
steak,  I  went  one  night,  accompanied  hy  two  men,  to  the 
water  whence  the  supply  for  the  town  was  obtained,  as  Avell 
as  where  the  cattle  came  to  drink.  We  determined  to  lie 
in  a  hollow  spot  near  the  fountain,  and  shoot  the  first  object 
which  might  come  within  our  reach.  It  was  half  moonlight, 
and  rather  cold,  though  the  days  were  warm.  We  remained 
for  a  couple  of  hours,  waiting  with  great  anxiety  for  some- 
tliing  to  appear.  We  at  length  heard  a  loud  lapping  at  the 
water,  under  the  dark  shadowy  bank,  within  twenty  yards 
of  us.  "What  is  that?"  I  asked  Bogachu.  "  Ririmala," 
(be  silent,)  he  said;  "there  are  lions,  they  will  hear  us."  A 
hint  was  more  than  enough  ;  and  thankful  were  we,  that, 
when  they  had  drunk,  they  did  not  come  over  the  smooth 
grassy  surface  in  our  direction.  Our  next  visitors  were  two 
buffaloes,  one  immensely  large.  My  wagon-driver,  Mo.si, 
who  also  had  a  gun,  seeing  them  coming  directly  towards  us, 
begged  me  to  fire.  I  refused,  having  more  dread  of  a  wound- 
ed buffalo  than  of  almost  any  other  animal.  He  fired;  and 
though  the  animal  was  severely  wounded,  he  stood  like  a 
statue  with  his  companion,  within  a  hundred  yards  of  us,  for 
more  than  an  hour,  waiting  to  see  us  move,  in  order  to 
attack  us.  We  lay  in  an  awkward  position  for  that  time, 
scarcely  daring  to  whisper;  and  when  he  at  last  retired  we 
were  so  stiff  with  cold,  that  flight  would  have  been  impossi- 
ble had  an  attack  been  made.  We  then  moved  about  till 
our  blood  began  to  circulate.  Our  next  visitors  were  two 
giraffes;  one  of  these  we  wounded.  A  troop  of  quai'-gas  next 
came  ;  but  the  succes.sful  instinct  of  the  principal  stallion,  in 
surveying  the  precincts  of  the  water,  galloping  round  in  all 
directions  to  catch  any  strange  scent,  and  returning  to  tbe 
troop  with  a  whistling  noise,  to  announce  danger,  set  t'lern 
off  at  full  speed.  The  next  was  a  huge  rhinoceros,  which, 
receiving  a  mortal  wound,  departed.  Hearing  the  approach 
of  more  lions,  we  judged  it  best  to  leave ;  and  after  a  lonely 
walk  of  four  miles  through  bushes,  hyenas  and  jackals,  we 
reached  the  village,  when  I  felt  thankful,  resolving  never  to 
hunt  by  night  at  a  water-pool,  till  I  could  find  notliing  to  eat 
elsewhere.  Next  day  the  rhinoceros  and  buflhlo  were  found, 
which  afforded  a  plentiful  supply. 


308  SWIFT   RUNNERS. 

While  spending  ten  days  with  the  Barolongs  at  Kongke, 
among  several  thousands  of  people,  under  the  chiefs  Molala, 
Mochuara,  and  Gontse,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing 
the  swiftness  of  some  of  the  natives.  Two  stately  giraffes 
having  got  out  of  their  usual  beat,  came  sailing  along  through 
the  tall  acacias,  till,  discovering  the  abodes  of  men,  they 
turned  their  course,  and  were  soon  pursued  by  some  young 
men,  who  not  only  came  up  to  them,  but  were  successful  in 
killing  one.  This  is  a  feat  rarely  attempted,  except  with  a 
horse  ;  and  sometimes  even  that  animal  fails  to  overtake 
them. 

During  my  sojourn  among  this  portion  of  that  people,  I 
had  no  little  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  hearing  when  I  wished 
to  talk  to  them  about  their  eternal  interests.  Molala  was  a 
complete  heathen,  and  had  obtained  his  riches,  as  well  as  his 
influence,  by  intrigue  and  rapine.  I  was  in  the  habit  of  con- 
cluding from  facts,  about  which  I  have  not  deemed  it  neces- 
sary to  be  very  minute,  that  the  Batlapis  were,  as  a  people, 
not  only  very  ignorant  and  depraved,  but  exceedingly  brutal : 
however,  a  short  stay  among  the  Barolongs  convinced  me 
that  the  latter  far  exceeded  the  former.  An  intelligent  tra- 
veller,* who  sojourned  for  a  time  ainong  the  Batlapis,  was 
not  mistaken  when  he  was  obliged,  most  reluctantly,  to  come 
to  the  conclusion,  that  "  the  foulest  blot  on  their  character  is 
the  indifference  with  which  murder  is  viewed  among  them. 
It  excites  little  sensation,  excepting  in  the  family  of  the  per- 
son who  has  been  murdered ;  and  brings,  it  is  said,  no  dis- 
grace upon  him  who  has  committed  it ;  nor  imeasiness,  ex- 
cepting the  fear  of  their  revenge.  Shall  we  not  hesitate  to 
assert  that  human  nature  is  superior  to  the  brute  creation, 
when  we  find  among  this  people  instances  of  the  fact,  that 
the  .shedding  of  human  blood,  without  the  pretext  of  provo- 
cation or  offence,  and  even  by  the  basest  treachery,  has  fixed 
no  infamy  upon  the  perpetrator  of  so  awful  a  crime  ;  and 
rarely  drawn  upon  him  any  punishment  from  the  chief  au- 
thority ;  an  authority  which  the  Giver  of  power  entrusts  to 
mortal  hands,  only  for  the  weak,  and  for  the  common  good  ? 
Such  at  least,  are  the  sentiments  which  they  express,  and 
such  were  their  replies  to  my  questions  on  this  subject." 

During  my  stay  at  Kongke,  an  instance  occurred  confirm- 
ing the  view  of  Dr.  Burchell.  A  man  was  quarrelling  with 
his  wife  about  a  very  trifling  affair,  when,  in  a  fit  of  rage, 
he  grasped  his  spear,  and  laid  her  at  his  feet  a  bleeding 
corpse  !      Here  there  were  no  coroners  nor  jury  to  take  cog- 

♦  Dr.  Burchell. 


A   CRUEL    PRACTICE.  '  309 

nizance  of  the  fact,  and  he  walked  about  without  a  blush, 
while  the  lifeless  body  was  dragged  out  to  be  devoured  by 
the  hyena.  When  I  endeavoured  to  represent  to  the  chiefs, 
with  whom  I  was  familiar,  as  old  acquaintances,  the  magni- 
tude of  such  crimes,  they  laughed,  I  might  say  inordinately, 
at  the  horror  1  felt  for  the  murder  of  a  woman  by  her  own 
husband. 

A  custom  prevails  among  all  the  Bechuanas  whom  I  have 
visited,  of  removing  to  a  distance  from  the  towns  and  villages 
persons  who  have  been  wounded.  Two  young  men,  who 
had  been  wounded  by  the  poisoned  arrows  of  the  Bushmen, 
were  thus  removed  from  the  Kuruman.  Having  visited 
them,  to  administer  reliefj  I  made  inquiries,  but  could  learn 
no  reason,  except  that  it  was  a  custom.  This  unnatural 
practice  exposed  the  often  helpless  invahd  to  great  danger ; 
for,  if  not  well  attended  during  the  night,  his  paltry  little  hut, 
or  rather  shade  from  the  sun  and  wind,  would  be  assailed  by 
the  hyena  or  lion.  A  catastrophe  of  this  kind  occurred  a  short 
time  before  my  arrival  among  the  Barolongs.  The  son  of 
one  of  the  principal  chiefs,  a  fine  young  man,  had  been 
wounded  by  a  buffalo  ;  he  was,  according  to  custom,  placed 
on  the  outside  of  the  village  till  he  should  recover;  a  portion 
of  food  was  daily  sent,  and  a  person  appointed  to  make  his 
fire  for  the  evening.  The  fire  went  out;  and  the  helpless 
man,  notwithstanding  his  piteous  cries,  was  carried  off  by 
the  lion,  and  devoured.  Some  might  think  that  this  practice 
originated  in  the  treatment  of  infectious  diseases,  such  as 
leprosy  ;  but  the  only  individual  I  ever  saw  thus  affected, 
Avas  not  separated.  This  disease,  though  often  found  among 
slaves  in  the  colony,  is  unknown  among  the  tribes  in  the  in- 
terior, and  therefore  they  have  no  name  for  it. 

Among  the  different  tribes  congregated  in  this  wilderness 
part  of  the  world,  the  Bahurutsian  refugees  were  the  most 
interesting  and  industrious.  Having  occasion  to  mend  the 
linchpin  of  my  wagon,  I  inquired  for  a  native  smith,  when  a 
respectable  and  rather  venerable  man  with  one  eye,  was 
pointed  out.  Observing,  from  the  cut  of  his  hair,  that  he 
was  a  foreigner,  and  inquiring  where  he  practised  his  trade, 
I  was  affected  to  hear  him  reply,  "  I  am  a  Mohurutsi,  from 
Kurrechane."  1  accompanied  him  to  his  shop,  in  an  open 
yard  at  the  back  of  his  house.  The  whole  of  his  implements 
consisted  of  two  small  goat-.skins  for  bellows,  some  small 
broken  pots  for  crucibles,  a  few  round  green  stone  boulders 
for  his  anvil,  a  hammer  made  of  a  small  piece  of  iron,  about 
three-auarters  of  an  inch  thick,  and  rather  more  than  two  by 


310  WIRE    DRAWING. 

three  inches  square,  with  a  handle  in  a  hole  in  the  centre,  a 
cold  chisel,  two  or  three  other  shapeless  tools,  and  a  heap  of 
charcoal.  "  I  am  not  an  iron-smith,"  he  said,  "  I  work  in 
copper;"  showing  me  some  of  his  copper  and  brass  orna- 
ments, consisting  of  ear-rings,  arm-rings,  etc.  I  told  him  I 
only  wanted  wind  and  fire.  He  sat  down  between  his  two 
goat-skins,  and  puffed  away.  (See  page  87.)  Instead  of 
using  his  tongs,  made  of  the  bark  of  a  tree,  I  went  for  my 
own.  When  he  saw  them  he  gazed  in  silent  admiration ; 
he  turned  them  over  and  over ;  he  had  never  seen  such  in- 
genuity, and  pressed  thenn  to  his  chest,  giving  me  a  most 
expressive  look,  which  was  as  intelligible  as  "  Will  you  give 
them  to  me  V  My  work  was  soon  done,  when  he  entered 
his  hut,  from  which  he  brought  a  piece  of  flat  iron,  begging 
me  to  pierce  it  with  a  number  of  different  sized  holes,  for 
the  purpose  of  drawing  copper  and  brass  wire.  Requesting 
to  see  the  old  one,  it  was  produced,  accompanied  by  the 
feeling  declaration,  "  It  is  from  Kurrechane." 

Having:  examined  his  manner  of  using  it,  and  formed  a 
tolerable  idea  of  the  thing  he  wanted,  I  set  to  work ;  and  find- 
ing his  iron  too  soft  for  piercing  holes  through  nearly  an  half- 
inch  iron  plate,  I  took  the  oldest  of  my  two  handsaw  files  to 
make  a  punch,  which  I  had  to  repair  many  times.  After 
much  labour,  and  a  long  time  spent,  I  succeeded  in  piercing 
about  twenty  holes,  from  the  eight  of  an  inch  to  the  thick- 
ness of  a  thread.  The  moment  the  work  was  completed, 
he  grasped  it,  and  breaking  out  into  exclamations  of  sur- 
prise, bounded  over  the  fence  like  an  antelope,  and  danced 
about  the  village  like  a  merry-andrew,  exhibiting  his  treasure 
to  every  one,  and  asking  if  they  ever  saw  any  thing  like  it. 
Next  day  I  told  him,  that  as  we  were  brothers  of  one  trade, 
(for,  among  the  Africans,  arts,  though  in  their  infancy,  have 
their  secrets  too,)  he  must  show  me  the  whole  process  of 
melting  copper,  making  brass,  and  drawing  wire.  The 
broken  pot  or  crucible,  containing  a  quantity  of  copper  and 
a  little  tin,  was  presently  fixed  in  the  centre  of  a  charcoal 
fire.  He  then  applied  his  bellows  till  the  contents  were 
fused.  Fie  had  previously  prepared  a  heap  of  sand,  slightly 
adhesive,  and  by  thrusting  a  stick  about  two  eightlis  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  like  the  ramrod  of  a  mu.sket,  obliquely  into 
this  heap,  he  made  holes,  into  which  he  poured  the  contents 
of  his  crucible.  He  then  fixed  a  round,  smooth  stick,  about 
three  feet  higii,  having  a  split  in  the  top,  upright  in  the 
ground,  when,  taking  out  his  rods  of  brass,  he  beat  them  out 
on  a  stone  with  his  little  hammer,  till  they  were  about  the 


INDIFFERENCE   TO   THE    GOSPEL.  311 

eighth  of  an  inch  square,  occasionally  softening  them  in  a 
small  flame,  made  by  burning  grass.  Having  reduced  them 
all  to  this  thickness,  he  laid  the  end  of  one  on  a  stone,  and 
rubbing  it  to  a  point  with  another  stone,  in  order  to  introduce 
it  through  the  largest  hole  of  his  iron-plate  ;  he  then  opened 
the  split  in  the  upright  stick  to  hold  fast  the  end  of  the  wire, 
when  he  forced  the  plate  and  wire  round  the  stick  with  a 
lever-power,  frequently  rubbing  the  wire  with  oil  or  fat.  The 
same  operation  is  performed  each  time,  making  the  point  of 
the  wire  smaller  for  a  less  hole,  till  it  is  reduced  to  the  size 
wanted,  which  is  sometimes  about  that  of  thick  sewing  cot- 
ton. The  wire  is,  of  course,  far  inferior  in  colour  and  quality 
to  our  brass-wire.  The  native  smiths,  however,  evince 
great  dexterity  in  working  ornaments  from  copper,  brass,  and 
iron.* 

When  I  had  thus  assisted  the  old  man,  and  become  so- 
ciable, I  talked  to  him  about  the  power  of  knowledge  ;  ex- 
plaining the  bellows  and  other  mechanical  improvements, 
which  insure  accuracy  as  well  as  save  time  and  labour.  To 
this  he  listened  with  great  attention,  but  when  I  introduced 
Divine  subjects,  man's  misery,  and  man's  redemption,  he 
looked  at  me  with  mouth  dilated,  and  asked,  "  A  ga  u  morihi 

----- 

pula  ?"  Art  thou  a  rain-maker  ?  This  man  had  also  an  in- 
teresting son  and  daughter,  to  whom  I  often  spoke,  as  well 
as  to  some  others,  in  social  converse,  which  I  hoped  and 
prayed  might  be  blessed  ;  but  what  became  of  these  Bahu- 
rutsian  families,  I  never  knew. 

Some  time  after  my  arrival  among  these  Barolongs,  cer- 
tain people  came  from  the  Bauangketsi,  who,  on  seeing  me, 
expressed  a  strong  desire  that  I  should  visit  their  king,  Se- 
})egue,  the  son  of  Makaba.  I  explained  why  I  could  not 
comply  at  that  time,  and  sent  a  small  present.  A  fortnight 
after,  while  sitting  writing  in  my  wagon,  the  hue-and-cry 
was  raised  that  an  enemy  was  approaching,  when  many  fled, 
leaving  the  village  with  few  inhabitants.  I  did  not  like  the 
idea  of  leaving  my  wagon  and  other  property  after  their  ex- 
ample, and  sat  waiting  to  see  M'ho  the  enemy  was,  when 
presently  Sebegue,  with  two  hundred  warriors,  fine-looking 
men,  emerged  from  a  thicket  of  acacias,  and  the  trembling 
inhabitants  were  amazed  to  observe  the  chieftain,  whom  they 
never  saw  before,  come  and  salute  me  in  a  way  which  proved 
that  we  were  old  acquaintances.  I  walked  into  the  village 
with  him  and  his  men,  to  the  no  small  astoniishment  of  its 

*  Specimens  of  the  wire,  a  hammer,  and  plate,  may  be  seen  in  the  Mis- 
sionary Museum,  Mission  House,  Blomfield-street,  Finsbury. 


312  RETURN    TO   THE    STATION. 

owners,  who  drew  near,  out  of  breath  with  their  flight,  to  see 
the  king  of  the  Bauangketsi.  They  were  still  more  surpris- 
ed when  he  told  them  that  he  had  broken  an  established  law 
of  his  people,  which  would  not  permit  the  king  to  leave  his 
own  dominions,  but  that  his  martial  appearance  among  them 
was  on  designs  of  peace  ;  for  his  sole  object  was  to  induce 
me  to  accompany  him  to  his  capital.  He  remained  two 
days,  during  M'hich  I  had  much  interesting  conversation  with 
him,  but  could  not,  from  want  of  time,  accede  to  his  urgent 
request  to  accompany  him  to  his  own  country.  He  referred, 
with  much  apparent  pleasure,  to  my  visit  to  his  late  father, 
and  expressed  an  earnest  desire  that  I  should  go  and  live 
with  him  and  his  people.  He  had  purchased  one  horse,  and 
stolen  another  from  an  individual  who  had  visited  him,  and 
wishing  to  appear  before  me  in  trowsers,  had  got  a  pair  made 
of  some  shape,  begging  1  would  supply  him  with  better,  a 
request  which  was  granted.  The  Barolongs  were  so  suspi- 
cious of  the  visit  of  such  a  great  man,  that  they  could  not 
feel  comfortable,  until  they  had  heard  that  he  had  passed 
the  Molapo,  the  boundary  of  his  kingdom ;  they  then  came 
and  gave  me  the  credit  I  did  not  deserve,  of  preventing  his 
fierce  warriors  from  destroying  their  villages,  and  taking  their 
cattle.  His  last  words  were,  "  Trust  me  as  you  trusted  my 
father." 

After  ten  weeks'  sojourn  among  this  people,  who  showed 
me  no  little  kindness,  I  prepared  to  return  home  ;  and  on  the 
Sabbath  collected  all,  and  gave  them  my  concluding  address, 
on  the  importance  of  believing  the  Gospel  of  mercy.  After 
a  thirsty  journey,  I  reached  home,  with  a  heart  filled  with 
gratitude  to  God  for  the  comforts  I  enjoyed,  and  the  progress 
I  had  made  in  the  language,  during  these  months  of  a  semi- 
savage  life.  In  that  country  it  was  not  then  easy  to  convey 
letters,  owing  to  a  dangerous  desert  path,  and  the  tribes  liv- 
ing in  constant  suspicion  of  each  other.  It  was  no  uncom- 
mon thing  in  those  days  for  ambassadors  never  to  return, 
and  for  trading  parties  to  be  entirely  cut  off.  Po.stmen  and 
carriers  were  therefore  not  easily  found,  though  they  were 
safe  if  known  to  belong  to  us.  I  have  more  than  once  found 
it  difficult  to  convince  a  messenger  that  the  letter  would  not 
say  a  word  to  him  on  the  road  ;  and  part  of  a  journal  and  a 
letter  to  Mrs.  M.  were  thrown  away  from  this  superstitious 
notion. 

A  remarkable  providence  was  observable  in  this  visit  to 
the  Barolongs.  Immediately  on  my  return  to  the  station, 
the  news  reached  us  that  a  marauding  party  had  proceeded 


CHANGE   OF    PROSPECTS.  313 

from  the  Orange  River  to  the  northward,  and  fell  on  the 
people,  among  whom  I  had  lived,  and  they,  in  consequence, 
fled  to  the  Kalagare  desert  with  the  loss  of  much  cattle. 
The  distance  at  which  they  had  passed  and  repassed  to  the 
north  of  our  station,  and  the  feehleness  of  the  party,  excited 
no  alarm  among  the  Kuruman  people. 


CHAPTER     XXVIIL 

Our  prospects  were  now  beginning  to  brighten.  Several 
thousands  of  the  natives  had  congregated  near  us  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  valley.  They  were  becoming  more 
settled  in  their  minds.  They  would  collect  in  the  different 
divisions  of  the  town,  where  we  visited  them,  and  the  public 
attendance  at  the  station  daily  increased.  The  school  also 
was  better  attended.  We  had  for  a  long  time  past  been 
hovering  on  the  wings  of  suspense,  but  now  felt  as  if  we 
could  labour  in  hope  ;  and  though  we  could  see  nothing  like 
a  change  in  any  one,  or  even  observed  real  attention,  never- 
theless we  felt  a  persuasion  that  we  should  soon  hear  the 
voice  of  the  turtle  in  the  land. 

Our  pleasure  was  augmented  by  the  return  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hughes,  from  the  colony,  greatly  improved  in  health. 
We  had  begun  to  hope  that  the  confusion  and  every  evil 
work  which  had  prevailed  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  had, 
like  every  other  display  of  the  uncontrolled  passions  of  man. 
passed  their  zenith,  and  were  fast  disappearing,  with  their 
unfortunate  actors,  who  were  falling,  one  after  another,  in 
their  unhallowed  enterprise.  But,  alas!  while  thus  con- 
gratulating ourselves,  a  sudden  cloud  gathered  around  us; 
and  it  is  impossible  to  look  back  and  re-peruse  the  letters 
and  journals  written  at  the  time,  without  feehng  over  again, 
almost  all  the  painful  self  denial  which  we  were  called  to 
exercise  on  that  occasion. 

Of  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  attack  of  the  Bergenaars 
on  Griqua  Town,  we  had  received  ample  information,  but 
Baw  no  reason  to  feel  any  alarm  for  the  safety  of  our  own 
mission,  as  they  could  have  no  such  grounds  for  attacking 

27 


314  DISTRACTING   CIRCUMSTANCES. 

our  people.  We  had  scarcely  despatched  a  letter  to  the 
Directors,  informing  them  that  the  state  of  the  mission  was 
encouraging,  when  a  letter  was  received  from  Mr.  Wright, 
the  contents  of  which  were  certainly  of  a  very  startling 
character.  He  assured  us  that  it  was  the  determination  of 
the  Bergenaars  to  come  direct  to  the  Kuruman,  in  order  to 
obtain  the  ammunition  which  we  possessed,  take  our  pro- 
perty, and  destroy  the  station.  Such  a  report,  from  such  a 
source,  very  naturally  terrified  the  Bechuanas;  all  was 
consternation,  all  urged  us  to  be  gone,  declaring  that  they 
would  not  run  the  risk,  whether  we  did  or  not.  It  was  more 
easy  for  them  than  for  us  to  flee.  We  Avere  weary  of  flights, 
we  had  been  greatly  impoverished  by  them,  and  to  remove 
three  missionaries,  and  two  of  their  families,  was  a  serious 
matter.  Knowing  well  the  character  of  the  desperadoes, 
and  their  object,  in  the  late  attack  on  Griqua  Town,  after 
prayerfully  considering  the  subject,  we  could  not  perceive 
our  situation  to  be  so  perilous  as  Mr.  Wright  appeared  to 
suppose,  and  accordingly  wrote  to  him  that  it  was  our  deter- 
mination to  remain.  We  concluded,  that,  in  the  event  of 
their  arrival,  we  .should  in  all  probability  hear  of  their 
approach  in  .sufficient  time  to  allow  of  our  safe  e.scape.  We 
naturally  made  some  allowance  for  the  fears  of  Mr.  Wright, 
who  had  but  lately  come  to  the  country,  and  experienced 
but  few  of  those  alarms  with  which  we  had  become  familiar. 
Our  reply  was  immediately  followed  by  a  solemn  assurance 
from  Mr.  Wright,  that  an  attack  on  our  station  M-as  deter- 
mined and  certain,  and  that  the  consequences  would  be 
dreadful,  as  it  was  the  intention  of  the  banditti  to  take  our 
lives ;  and  his  urgent  advice  was  to  remove  to  Griqua 
Town  without  a  moment's  delay,  and  not  to  depend  on  the 
Griquas  for  farther  information,  as  no  one  could  be  found 
willing  to  travel  in  such  times.  Waterboer  also  sent  an 
express  to  me  at  the  same  time,  stating  his  own,  as  well  as 
Mr.  W.'s  very  great  anxiety  on  our  account,  and  their 
astonishment  at  our  temerity.  These  reports,  which  we 
could  not  hide  from  the  natives,  were  to  them  like  the  sound- 
ing tocsin.  Our  situation  was  now  really  distressing,  and  to 
remove  at  this  time,  was  one  of  the  hardest  things  we  had 
ever  had  to  encounter.  We  could  not  help  doubting  the 
correctness  of  the  hackneyed  report,  which  had  so  often  died 
away  in  our  ears,  that  the  marauders  would  attack  us.  We 
were  the  more  distracted,  as  we  had  just  before  been  indul- 
ging the  most  pleasing  hopes  with  regard  to  the  strength  of 
our  mission  ;  and  Mothibi  was  on  the  point  of  removing  his 


SOJOURN    AT    GRIQUA    TOWN.  315 

town  close  to  our  station,  in  order  to  unite  with  us,  and 
cultivate  the  valley  below. 

The  natives  bein^  now  panic  struck,  with  indescribable 
reluctance  we  packed  up  some  of  our  most  valuable  articles 
in  our  wagons,  and  departed  in  the  beginning  of  September, 
leaving  some  confidential  persons  in  charge  of  the  station 
and  remaining  property.  I  still  feel  as  if  I  yet  gazed  on  the 
Bechuanas  leaving  their  towns  in  despair,  and  therefore  as 
is  usual,  in  flame,  to  indicate  that  they  would  never  return 
to  a  spot  where  they  could  neither  rest  nor  sleep.  We  wend- 
ed our  weary  way  along  the  desert  path,  and  after  a  most 
melancholy  journey  of  five  days,  arrived  at  Griqua  Town. 
It  was  hard  work  to  travel,  when  we  could  not  resist  the 
feeling  that  every  step  was  unnecessary  ;  and  we  should 
certainly  have  remained  at  Daniel's  Kuil,  but  from  the  con- 
viction that  the  friends  at  Griqua  Town,  who  had  expressed 
such  solicitude,  would  be  disappointed  if  we  stopped  short 
of  that  place.  We  of  course  took  with  us  what  ammuni- 
tion we  had,  lest  it  might  be  an  object  of  the  cupidity  of  the 
one  party,  or  necessary  for  the  defence  of  the  other.  We 
had  scarcely  arrived  and  heard  the  whole  of  the  reports, 
when  we  sincerely  regretted  having  come,  and  felt  extreme- 
ly anxious  to  return,  as  we  saw  nothing  but  starvation  before 
us.  Our  oxen  and  cows  w^ere  dying  for  want  of  grass,  and 
we  possessed  no  means  of  obtaining  supplies  from  the  colony. 
There  was  no  possibility  of  ascertaining  the  truth  of  the  dai- 
ly reports,  as  these  were  obtained  from  strolling  Bushmen, 
and  others,  who  might  visit  the  place,  either  for  a  morsel  of 
food,  or  as  some  supposed,  to  spy  the  place,  and  on  their  ve- 
racity no  dependence  could  be  placed.  One  of  these  un- 
fortunate beings,  in  order  to  make  him  tell  the  truth,  received 
a  severe  castigation  ;  w^hen  he  did  tell  a  fine  tale  indeed, 
that,  in  a  late  afli-ay,  Jan  Bloom  and  other  distinguished  in- 
dividuals had  been  killed,  which  though  a  perfect  falsehood, 
he  knew  would  difiuse  unmingled  pleasure  ;  and  though  he 
himself  was  put  in  irons,  he  succeeded  in  making  his  escape 
soon  afterwards.  One  day  it  was  reported  the  enemy  were 
at  the  door ;  another,  that  half  of  them  were  dead,  and  the 
rest  scattered  for  want  of  food.  Thus  it  continued,  and  we 
should  have  returned,  had  it  not  been  for  the  conviction  of 
some  that  it  was  safer  for  the  mission  families  to  be  together. 
But  for  all  to  stay,  was  unnecessary,  and  Mr.  Hamilton  hav- 
ing no  family,  returned  first  to  the  station.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hughes  followed ;  and  I  should  have  accompanied  them, 
but  a  letter  arriving  from  Mr.  Miles,  the  Society's  superin- 


316  THE   REV.    RICHARD    MILEs's   VISIT. 

tendent,  apprising  us  of  his  near  approach,  Mr.  Wright,  be- 
ing very  unwilling  to  be  left  alone,  I  remained  till  Air.  M.'s 
arrival  with  the  kind  provision  made  for  the  Griquas  by  the 
friends  at  Cape  Town.  This  diffused  a  degree  of  cheerful- 
ness over  the  public  mind,  but  many  were  dispirited,  and 
Mr.  Wright  very  earnestly  recommended  the  Griquas  join- 
ing the  Bechuana  mission,  placing  them  on  one  side  of  the 
Kuruman  valley,  while  the  Aborigines  should  occupy  the 
other,  and  thereby  save  both  missions.  This  plan  at  first 
sight  w^as  very  plausible,  but  as  we  were  better  acquainted 
with  the  dispositions  of  the  two  parties,  we  could  not  accede 
to  the  opinion  of  Mr.  W.  and  the  good  people  of  Griqua 
Town,  "  that  it  w^as  not  only  advisable,  but  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  the  continuation  of  the  two  missions,  that  a  junction 
of  the  missions  take  place."  The  Bechuanas,  though  una- 
ble to  defend  their  country  against  enemies  who  possessed 
both  fire-arms  and  horses,  were  nevertheless  extremely  jea- 
lous of  every  encroachment  on  the  domains  of  their  ances- 
tors, and  however  their  subdued  condition  might  for  a  time 
pro.strate  their  patriotism,  we  were  well  aware  that  should 
we  connive  at  the  Griquas  settling  down  in  their  country,  it 
would  eventually  bring  upon  us  a  load  of  obloquy,  when 
they  found  themselves  viewed  as  subordinate,  in  what  was 
once  their  own  territory.  The  reasonableness  of  our  objec- 
tions to  the  plan  was  quite  apparent  to  Mr.  Miles,  and  as 
Mr.  W.  greatly  needed  counsel  as  well  as  assistance  at  this 
juncture,  Mr.  M.  cordially  agreed  that  Mr.  Hughes  should 
remove  to  Griqua  Town  to  .share  his  labours. 

Accompanied  by  Mr.  Miles  we  returned  to  the  Kuruman 
with  no  little  satisfaction,  though  mingled  Avith  sadness,  for 
our  circumstances  were  not  of  a  character  to  excite  pleasure. 
Half  of  our  oxen  and  nearly  all  our  cows  were  dead,  we 
were  too  poor  to  purchase  more,  not  a  quart  of  milk  on  tlie 
station,  and  what  was  worse  nearly  all  our  people  gone. 
Heaps  of  ashes,  where  crowds  once  lived,  who  but  for  the.«e 
reports  would  have  been  there  still ;  we  lielt  as  if  we  could 
never  forgive  ourselves  for  having  fled,  and  resolved  afre.sh 
to  resume  our  labours  among  the  few  poor  who  had  remained 
on  the  station,  and  who  were  on  the  increase. 

The  visit  of  the  Rev,  Richard  Miles,  which  was  ostensibly 
a  visit  of  mercy  to  the  Griquas,  was  sensibly  felt  to  be  one 
of  comfort  to  us,  in  our  isolated  and  distracted  position. 
Having  made  himself  acquainted  with  all  the  affairs  of  the 
station,  he  suggested  the  very  great  importance  of  preparing 
something  like  hymns  in  the  native   language,  which  being 


MR,    MILES'S    RETURN.  317 

constantly  sung,  the  great  truths  of  sah'^ation  would  become 
imperceptibly  written  on  the  minds  of  the  people.  This  was 
very  desirable,  as  we  had  hitherto  used  only  Dutch  hymns  ; 
but  the  thing  appeared  premature,  from  my  limited  know- 
ledge of  the  language  ;  however,  at  his  request,  I  made  the 
attempt,  and  the  first  hymn  ever  written  in  the  language  is 
one  of  the  many  now  in  extensive  use.  The  arrival  of  the 
spelling-books,  etc.,  at  the  same  time,  enabled  us  to  com- 
mence a  school  in  the  Sechuana.  This  was  the  dawning 
of  a  new  era  on  our  mission.  The  station  had  suffered,  and 
we  ourselves  had  suffered  so  much  in  mind  and  body  from 
removals,  flights,  and  the  want  of  common  necessaries,  that 
we  resolved  through  Divine  aid  to  remain  by  our  post,  let 
the  consequences  be  what  they  might.  Mr.  Miles,  whose 
gtmerous  conduct,  and  brotherly  faithfulness,  had  endeared 
him  to  all  the  missionaries  in  the  country,  returned,  and  we 
pursued  our  labours,  which  had  now,  with  few  interruptions, 
been  carried  on  for  ten  years  without  any  fruit. 

Our  circumstances  were  now  like  those  of  the  mariner 
after  a  storm,  his  ship  dismantled  and  nearly  all  his  com- 
panions gone  ;  but  even  this  was  a  state  of  peace  and  plea- 
sure compared  with  the  past.  We  could  not  however  per- 
suade ourselves  that  this  warfare  was  over,  or  that  our  faith 
had  been  sufficiently  tried.  We  knew  that  the  darkest 
period  of  the  night  was  the  hour  which  preceded  the  dawn 
of  day,  but  we  could  not  help  fearing  that  the  hour,  which 
to  us  had  been  gloomy  indeed,  might  become  darker  still. 
We  had  been  taught  by  painful  experience,  not  to  trust  to 
our  own  understandings,  neither  to  put  confidence  in  an  arm 
of  flesh,  but  to  trust  in  the  right  hand  of  the  Most  High,  and 
therefore  such  was  the  state  of  our  minds,  that  we  felt  per- 
fectly resigned  to  every  distress,  and  even  death  itself,  in  the 
cause  in  which  we  were  engaged.  These  were  the  chas- 
tened results  of  past  trials. 

The  Griquas  were  rent  with  internal  discord,  and  the 
united  force  of  the  four  chiefs  which  drove  back  the  over- 
whelming enemy  from  Lithako,  M'as  now  divided  into  four 
separate  interests.  Waterboer  did  not  receive  either  the 
sanction  or  support  from  the  Colonial  Government  which  he 
deserved,  and  was  therefore  unable  to  defend  either  himself* 
or  others,  without  suitable  resources.  The  Batlapis  and 
those  by  Avhom  we  were  surrounded,  and  concerning  whom 
we  had  begun  to  hope,  having  been  thus  exposed  to  inces- 
sant alarms  and  losses,  despairing  of  help  from  any  quarter, 
fled  first  to  the  Bushmen  territory,  and  then  to  the  Yellow 

27* 


318  PLEASANT   INDICATIONS. 

River,  whence  some  have  never  returned.  There  were 
fragments  of  tribes  scattered  in  the  country,  and  these  by- 
degrees  collected  around  us.  Among  these,  a  comparatively 
new  soil,  we  continued  our  labours,  and  fruitless  as  the  past 
had  been,  we  felt  when  addressing  the  people,  as  if  we  were 
thrown  some  years  back. 

Jan  Karse,  a  Griqua  of  no  party,  and  a  peaceable  man, 
having  heard  that  his  relative  Jan  Bloom  was  threatening  to 
attack  us,  left  his  farm  in  the  Bushman  country,  and  re- 
moved for  a  time  to  our  station,  with  the  twofold  object  of 
having  his  children  educated,  and  endeavouring  to  prevail  on 
the  Blooms,  should  they  come,  to  abandon  their  project. 
This  was  to  us  quite  unexpected,  for  we  had  long  ceased  to 
look  to  man  for  aid,  but  we  were  deeply  thankful  tor  such  an 
interposition,  as  we  cherished  the  hope,  that  his  arrival  would 
deter  the  marauders  from  such  an  attack. 

At  this  period  the  number  of  inhabitants  on  our  station 
amounted  to  about  fifty  families,  from  seven  different  tribes, 
who  had  made  the  spot  an  asylum,  when  plundered  and 
driven  from  their  own  abodes.  Poverty  made  them  willing 
to  labour,  and  they  became  useful  auxiliaries  to  us  in  the 
buildings  and  outward  improvements.  Mr.  Hughes's  tem- 
porary house  being  unoccupied,  we  turned  it  into  a  chapel 
where  we  put  up  our  humble  pulpit.  On  the  following 
day,  when  we  were  about  to  occupy  it,  we  found  a  Cobra 
de  capello  serpent  had  already  taken  possession,  which  to 
some  minds  might  have  been  an  ominous  event.  The  day- 
school  began  to  cheer  our  drooping  spirits,  to  which  we  added 
one  in  the  evening,  having  about  forty  scholars  in  each,  and 
some  we  heard  began  to  pray  !  The  attendance  on  public 
worship  Avas  good,  and  the  introduction  of  singing  hymns  in 
the  language,  only  three  in  number,  produced  a  very  pleas- 
ing effect  on  the  savage  mind,  and  no  less  so  on  our  own, 
though  we  could  not  discover  any  inwrought  feeling  produced 
by  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 

One  mission  house  had  been  finished,  another  was  raised 
as  high  as  the  beams,  and  though  we  had  faith  to  take  joy- 
fully the  spoiling  of  our  good.«;,  and  to  expend  our  lives,  yet 
as  the  friends  at  home  were  beginning  to  despair  of  success, 
we  did  not  like  to  expend  any  more  money.  I  remember 
when  it  was  signified  to  us,  though  not  officially,  that  the 
abandonment  of  the  mission  was  in  contemplation,  we  felt 
our  souls  at  once  riveted  to  the  country  and  people,  and  even 
had  our  resources  been  withdrawn,  we  were  confident  of  Di- 
vine interference  in  our  behalf      It  was  at  this  time,  under 


ANOTHER    COMMANDO.  319 

these  feelings,  and  with  the  prospect  of  peace,  that  Mr. 
Hamilton,  my  veteran  fellow-labourer,  found  it  necessary, 
after  his  long  career,  to  visit  the  coast  for  the  first  time,  and 
accordingly  left  us  in  February,  1 828. 

In  the  month  of  March,  a  party  of  Corannas  passed  into 
the  interior,  and  Jan  Karse  hearing  that  a  brother  of  his 
wife  was  among  them,  intercepted  the  party  at  a  distance, 
and  accompanied  by  Aaron,  succeeded  in  dissuading  them 
from  their  wicked,  as  well  as  dangerous,  attempt  to  proceed 
to  the  Bauangketsi.  Karse  left  them  to  deliberate,  and  in 
the  course  of  a  few  days,  to  our  amazement,  they  entered 
our  station,  and  sat  themselves  down  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
village.  We  did  not  like  their  haughty  and  menacing  as- 
pect. They  spoke  and  acted  as  if  their  expedition  was  one 
of  harmless  enterprise. 

Two  days  passed  without  much  suspicion  on  our  part, 
while  they  rambled  about  in  the  village,  with  perfect  confi- 
dence, among  people  whose  near  relations  they  had  first 
plundered,  and  then  murdered  in  cold  blood  only  a  few  days 
previous.  They  were  treated  with  kindness,  every  thing 
being  avoided  which  might  give  offence.  Andries  Bloom, 
Karse's  brother-in-law,  stated  his  fears,  that  an  attack  on  the 
place,  for  the  few  cattle  we  had,  was  contemplated.  A 
sleepless  and  watchful  night  ensued.  On  the  following  morn- 
ing, Karse  went  to  their  camp  again  and  again,  using  every 
argument  and  entreaty  which  he  could  conceive,  to  induce 
them  to  depart  in  peace.  After  this  they  appeared  anxious 
to  convince  every  one  that  their  intentions  were  pacific. 
The  plot,  however,  was  more  deeply  laid  during  the  subse- 
quent night.  In  the  morning,  Karse  took  his  wife  with  him, 
being  an  influential  woman,  and  the  sister  of  Bloom,  their 
chief  They  pleaded  hard,  but  pleaded  in  vain,  and  Karse 
was  ordered  in  the  most  threatening  language  to  be  gone. 
Fearing  the  menaces  of  such  desperadoes,  he  retired,  while 
his  wife,  who  was  three  times  his  own  size,  nobly  walked 
close  behind  him  to  prevent  his  being  shot. 

The  marauders  then  sprang  into  a  kind  of  natural  en- 
trenchment, or  rather  heap  of  stones,  within  a  few  yards  of 
our  houses,  and  shook  their  clubs  at  us  with  savage  ferocity. 
Andries  Bloom  and  his  sister  took  refuge  in  our  house  with 
my  wife  and  family.  It  was  now  nearly  noon,  and  the  cat- 
tle were  lowing  to  get  out  to  water  and  pasture.  It  was 
with  difficulty  I  could  prevent  our  people  from  attacking  the 
enemy  ;  though  we  had  not  more  than  five  men  on  the  place 
who  could  use  a  gun,  while  they  had  forty,  independent  of 


320  THEIR    PURPOSES    DEFEATED, 

Buslimen  with  bows  and  arrows.  As  the  people  would  not 
permit  me  to  go  to  the  invaders,  I  stood  half-way  between 
them  and  my  own  house,  where  one  of  their  number  met 
me,  and  conveyed  several  messages  to  and  fro.  They  at 
last  told  me  also  to  be  gone,  or  they  would  shoot  me.  Un- 
til now  I  had  been  able  to  restrain  the  men  on  the  station, 
who  were  exasperated  to  the  last  degree  by  a  people  whom 
they  had  counselled,  assisted,  and  fed,  though  they  had  im- 
brued their  hands  in  the  blood  of  some  dear  relatives,  whose 
spoils  were  in  their  possession. 

At  this  moment  a  shot  was  fired  into  the  centre  of  the  vil- 
lage, a  second  ball  went  over  my  head.  I  walked  slov/ly  to- 
wards my  house,  to  show,  that  if  they  did  intend  to  shoot  me, 
I  did  not  think  so,  Aaron,  and  a  small  party  who  were 
looking  on  at  a  short  distance,  hearing  the  shots,  instantly 
came  up,  and  by  his  intrepidity  they  were  driven  from  their 
shelter,  while  those  who  had  already  begun  to  plunder  the 
other  end  of  the  village,  fled,  and  all  leaving  their  effects, 
made  the  best  of  their  way  to  the  mountains ;  some  were 
killed  on  the  plain,  and  not  a  man  would  have  escaped  had 
it  not  been  for  the  humanity  of  our  people,  who  would  wil- 
lingly have  spared  all,  and  therefore  instantly  gave  up  the 
pursuit.  Five  men  were  captured  and  brought  to  my  house, 
not  to  turn  that  into  a  prison,  but  only  to  be  fed,  to  sit  without 
either  locks  or  doors,  secure  from  rudeness  or  danger.  This 
was  another  woe  passed,  and  though  we  could  not  help  shud- 
dering at  the  loss  of  life,  it  was  impossible  to  feel  otherwise 
than  thankful  for  the  deliverance.  It  was  afterwards  disco- 
vered that  the  enemy  had  resolutely  determined  to  kill,  as 
well  as  steal,  and  set  the  place  on  fire,  which  they  used  their 
utmost  exertions  to  accomplish.  Having  heard  that  this 
party  had,  in  their  course,  deliberately  murdered  all  the  un- 
offending natives  who' had  fallen  into  their  hands,  I  inquired 
of  the  prisoners  after  they  had  been  some  time  with  us,  if 
their  minds  never  revolted  at  such  crimes,  as  deliberately 
killing  innocent  females  and  children,  who  possessed  nothing 
to  tempt  their  cupidity,  but  who  had  cheerfully  served  them 
with  wood  and  water.  I  shall  never  forget  the  reply  of  one 
who,  after  sitting  some  minutes  motionless  in  deep  reflection, 
said,  "  Mynheer,  the  heart  of  man  is  a  wonderful  thing  ; 
there  is  nothing  which  it  cannot  do.  Custom  makes  even 
murder  a  play-thing."  This  was  indeed  having  a  seared 
conscience,  or  being  past  feeling,  and  he,  like  many  others, 
was  unmoved  by  any  conviction  of  the  enormity  of  such 
crimes.     These  men  were  afterwards  sent  home  to  their 


ANOTHER  HORDE  OF  BANDITTI.  321 

friends,  evidently  struck  by  the  kindness  which  had  been 
shown  them,  and  which  we  hoped  might  have  a  beneficial 
influence  upon  their  minds.  Some  time  after,  when  we  were 
supposing  it  not  improbable  that  the  relations  of  the  defeated 
might  seek  revenge,  we  were  informed  by  an  individual  from 
their  neighbourhood,  that  their  chief  had  sharply  reproved 
them  for  so  daring  an  attempt  on  a  missionary  station,  add- 
ing, "  that  the  results  were  such  as  they  might  have  ex- 
pected." 

Soon  after  this  affair,  some  of  the  subordinate  chiefs  of  the 
Batlapis  signified  their  wish  to  return  to  the  Kuruman,  which 
they  accordingly  did.  It  is  also  worthy  of  notice  that  the 
distant  villagers,  by  taking  refuge  on  our  station,  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  character  and  motives  of  the  missionary, 
and  were  often  led  to  listen  to  the  Gospel  of  salvation, 
preached,  though  very  imperfectly,  in  their  own  language  ; 
and  although  many  at  first  exhibited  the  barrenness  of  their 
minds  by  the  wildness  and  vacancy  of  their  countenances, 
yet  the  glimmering  rays  of  light  then  imparted  were  the  pre- 
cursors of  brighter  days.  It  w^as  reviving  to  see,  in  those 
troublous  and  distracted  times,  the  attendance  increase  ;  and 
gradually  an  unremitted  and  riveted  attention  marked  the 
sable  audience.  Before  this  time  I  had  commenced,  on  the 
forenoon  of  the  sabbath,  catecliising  the  children  and  adults 
on  the  first  principles  of  the  Gospel,  reading  a  chapter  out 
of  a  manuscript  translation  of  Luke.  From  the  unexpected 
increase  of  labour,  and  being  alone,  it  was  not  easy  to  make 
either  additions  to  the  translations,  or  solid  advances  in  the 
language. 

The  aspect  of  general  affairs  continued  pacific  for  nearly 
two  months.  The  state  of  the  Griqua  country  assumed  an 
appearance  which  we  regarded  as  the  precursor  of  perma- 
nent peace.  Judgment  had  overtaken  many  of  the  marau- 
ders, and  the  remainder  were  comparatively  scattered. 
When  the  mind  was  beginning  to  feel  at  liberty  to  contem- 
plate the  pleasing  results  of  peace  and  the  Gospel  on  the 
tribes  now  comparatively  shorn  of  the  barbarous  dignity 
which  had  marked  by-gone  years,  the  approach  of  another 
commando  from  the  Orange  River  was  announced.  The 
country  to  the  north-west,  all  along  the  course  of  former 
marauders,  being  swept  of  inhabitants,  we  were  not  aware 
of  our  danger  till  they  had  advanced  within  eight  miles  of 
our  station.  They  would  in  all  probability  have  entered  our 
village  unawares  but  for  the  following  circumstance.  Two 
men,  a  woman,   and  boy  were  returning  from  a  distance, 


322  AN   ANXIOUS    SABBATH. 

with  two  pafk  oxen  laden  with  skins,  which  they  had  gone 
to  barter.  These  were  seized,  the  men  and  woman  were 
dragged  on  one  side  to  be  despatched  with  clubs,  but  the 
boy  was  spared  to  guide  therai  to  our  station  ;  he  made  his 
escape  during  the  night,  and  gave  us  information.  Next 
day,  the  sabbath,  August  10th,  1828,  all  was  confusion,  as 
we  were  every  hour  expecting  an  attack.  A  sleepless  and 
anxious  night  followed.  A  watch  had  been  set,  but  from 
the  extreme  darkness  of  the  night,  nothing  could  be  seen  till 
morning,  when  it  was  discovered  from  the  spuor  of  horses, 
that  some  of  the  enemy  had  come  very  near  to  reconnoitre. 
This  was  a  trying  season,  for  it  was  too  evident  from  what 
the  boy  had  overheard,  that  they  were  strong,  and  that  tliey 
were  determined  to  attack  the  station.  Jan  Karse  and  fa- 
mily having  returned  to  liis  farm,  fifty  miles  distant,  some 
weeks  previous,  we  had  very  few  men  able  to  use  a  gun, 
and  only  two  of  these  on  whom  we  could  depend.  We  were 
weak  indeed,  and  to  save  our  cattle,  we  sent  them  off  with 
some  men  to  the  wide  wilderness,  in  the  Bushman  country. 
We  were  consoled  to  know  that  an  omnipotent  Jehovah  saw 
our  condition,  that  He  could  defend  by  many  or  by  few,  and 
could  so  order  and  overrule  affairs  as  even  to  prevent  blood- 
shed. For  this  my  dear  partner  and  1  vuiited  again  and 
again  in  fervent  supplication  to  Him  who  had  said,  "  Call 
upon  me  in  the  time  of  trouble,  and  I  will  deliver."  Our 
souls  sickened  at  the  idea  of  seeing  the  ground  of  the  mis- 
sion station  dyed  with  human  blood,  and  we  felt  a  strong 
persuasion  that  it  would  be  prevented.  Another  night,  in 
which  infants  only  could  forget  their  cares  and  fears,  passed 
by.  Early  next  morning  the  commando  emerged  from  be- 
hind a  rising  ground,  where  they  had  passed  the  night, 
within  half  a  mile  of  the  place.  The  enemy  seeing  the  so 
called  entrenchments  full  of  people,  and  that  their  approach 
was  discovered,  had  no  alternative  but  to  advance.  The 
confused  rabble  of  horse  and  infantry  came  on,  evincing  all 
the  pageantry  of  sluggish  pomp.  I  had  previously  ordered, 
begged,  and  entreated  that  no  one  should  fire,  as  it  was  not 
likely  that  they  would  gallop  into  the  place,  but  leave  them 
to  expend  their  ammunition  on  the  hillocks  of  stone.  I  stood 
with  my  telescope  on  one  of  these  hillocks,  to  see  whether  I 
could  recognise  any  of  the  party,  as  we  had  been  informed 
that  there  were  several  rebel  Griquas  among  them.  When 
they  came  within  gun-shot  they  sheered  off  to  the  river, 
where  they  intercepted  some  cattle  belonging  to  our  people, 
and  a  few  sheep   the  property  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  while   a 


A   FLAG   OF   TRUCE.  323 

number  went  to  the  tops  of  the  heights  to  look  around  for 
more  booty.  We  counted  their  force,  amounting  to  forty 
muskets,  nine  horses,  and  about  ninety  men,  among  whom 
were  a  number  of  Griquas  well  dressed. 

After  debating  for  about  an  hour,  a  man  was  sent  with  a 
flag, — a  rag  suspended  on  the  end  of  a  rod.  To  prevent  his 
seeing  the  weakness  of  the  place,  I  met  him  at  a  distance. 
He  did  not  hesitate  to  acknowledge  that  it  was  their  inten- 
tion to  attack  the  place  for  purposes  of  revenge,  and  that 
Jantye  Goeman,  one  of  the  principal  men,  though  not  the 
chief,  begged  first  to  have  an  interview  with  me  at  their 
camp,  and  the  favour  of  a  piece  of  tobacco.  I  refused  to  go 
to  their  camp,  but  engaged  to  meet  him  halfway,  if  he  was 
unarmed.  After  a  long  pause  this  was  agreed  to,  when  he 
advanced,  and  was  soon  followed  by  two  more,  the  most 
riiffiaii-like  beings  I  ever  beheld.  I  went,  accompanied  by 
Aaron,  and  approaching  Jantye  Goeman,  whom  I  knew 
well,  he  having  been  separated  from  the  church  of  Griqua 
Town  while  I  was  there,  he  drew  near  with  his  hat  drawn 
over  his  eyes,  and  without  looking  me  in  the  face,  held  out 
his  hand.  I  said  to  him,  "  Jantye,  let  me  see  your  face ; 
you  may  well  blush  that  your  old  friend  should  find  you  in 
so  horrible  a  position,  among  a  people  determined  on  the 
destruction  of  a  missionary  station."  "  I  am  dumb  with 
shame,"  was  his  reply,  and  he  then  manufactured  an  excuse 
for  his  being  found  among  such  company,  adding  that  he 
would  rather  defend  my  person  than  see  a  weapon  raised 
against  me.  He  then  informed  me  that  there  were  several 
other  Bergenaars,  desperate  characters,  among  them  ;  but 
the  head  of  the  commando  was  one  Paul,  chief  of  the  Karos- 
hebbers  ;*  intimating  that  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  see 
him  before  we  could  come  to  any  understanding  ;  for  I  found 
Jantye  was  not  empowered  to  make  arrangements.  In  fact, 
he  appeared  embarrassed  ;  his  countenance  displaying  a 
hidden  conflict,  and  being  the  index  of  guilt.  He  assured 
me  that  to  obtain  an  interview  with  Paul  was  out  of  the 
question,  for  ever  since  he  had  left  home  he  had  been  vow- 
ing that  he  would  rather  die  than  exchange  one  word  with 
me,  or  see  my  face.  Perfectly  unable  to  conceive  how  I 
had  become  so  odious  in  the  eyes  of  any  one,  I  made  many 
inquiries,  and  at  length  learned,  that  this  Paul  was  one  to 
whom  I  had  preached  the  Gospel,  and  he  had  sworn  not  to 
see  me,  lest  I  should  succeed  in  persuading  him  to  abandon 
his  intentions  of  murder  and  rapine.  After  many  entreaties, 
*  A  Ccranna  tribe  so  called. 


324  MR.    AND    MRS.    ARCHBELL   ARRIVE, 

I  got  Jantye  to  go  and  invite  Paul,  while  I  remained  on  the 
spot.  During  his  absence,  one  of  the  two  forbidding  charac- 
ters who  continued  near  me,  remarked  in  a  growling  tone, 
that  I  had  better  get  out  of  the  way,  and  let  the  commando 
do  with  the  Kafirs  (Bechuanas)  as  they  pleased.  To  this  I 
replied,  that  they  must  first  kill  game  before  they  could  eat 
venison  ;  that  for  my  own  part  1  had  no  intention  to  use  any 
other  weapon  than  prayer  to  God  ;  but  I  would  not  vouch 
for  what  the  people  on  the  station  might  do ;  that  I  was 
the  teacher  of  some,  but  the  master  of  none.  Jantye  came 
slowly  back  again,  as  if  unwilling  to  tell  his  message.  It 
was,  that  Paul  was  resolute  in  his  determination  not  to  see 
me.  At  this  moment  a  wagon  appeared  in  sight ;  and 
fearing  it  might  be  some  one  from  Griqua  Town,  who  of 
course  would  be  instantly  despatched,  I  rose,  and  was  pro- 
ceeding to  meet  it,  as  it  had  to  pass  the  camp  of  the  banditti. 
Jantye  prevented  my  going.  I  then  sent  a  man,  who,  on 
passing  the  camp,  was  taken  prisoner.  When  observing 
some  of  the  party  shouldering  their  guns,  and  approaching 
the  wagon,  I  got  up,  and  said  to  Jantye,  "  I  shall  not  see 
your  face  till  the  wagon  and  its  owners  are  safe  on  the 
station."  He  instantly  ran  off*,  and  brought  the  wagon 
through  the  party  ;  when,  to  our  pleasing  surprise,  we  found 
that  our  visitors  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Archbell,  from  the  Wes- 
leyan  mission  at  Platburg. 

Their  safe  arrival  was  a  cause  of  gratitude,  but  the  great 
point  was  yet  undecided.  I  again  met  my  half-way  dele- 
gates ;  when,  after  a  long  conversation  with  Jantye,  and 
another  message  to  Pau^,  he  made  his  appearance,  slowly 
and  sadly,  as  if  following  a  friend  to  execution,  or  going  him- 
self to  be  slain.  His  face  appeared  incapable  of  a  smile. 
Taking  his  hand,  as  that  of  an  old  friend,  I  expressed  rny 
surprise  that  he,  who  knew  me,  and  who  once  listened  to  the 
message  of  salvation  from  my  lips,  should  come  with  such  a 
force,  for  the  express  purpose  of  rooting  out  the  mission.  I 
referred  him  to  the  time  when,  more  than  once,  I  had  slept 
at  the  door  of  his  hut,  and  partaken  of  his  hospitality.  He 
replied,  that  his  purposes  were  unalterable,  because,  more 
than  a  year  ago,  a  body  of  his  men,  who  had  passed  into  the 
interior  to  take  cattle  from  the  Barolongs,  were  attacked  by 
Mothibi's  people  ;  and  that  although  Mothibi  was  fled,  many 
of  his  subjects  and  the  Batlaros  were  on  the  station.  His 
eyes  glared  with  fury  as  he  said,  "  I  shall  have  their  blood 
and  their  cattle  too!"  People  in  this  countiy  can  scarcely 
conceive  how  difficult,  not  to  say  sometimes  how  impossible, 


EXPOSTULATION  AND  PLEADING.  325 

it  is,  to  argue  \^^th  such  characters,  for  some  will  not  hear ; 
but  Paul  could  argue  ;  and  having  once  listened  to  my  voice 
with  pleasure,  the  long  time  which  had  elapsed  had  not 
effaced  the  impressions  made  by  the  visit  and  presence  of  a 
teacher.  Although  I  was  not  preaching,  I  spoke  with  great 
solemnity,  asking  him  if  the  bleached  bones  on  the  Baro- 
long  and  Kalagare  plains,  the  souls  his  clubs  and  spears 
had  hurried  into  eternity  since  he  left  home,  and  the  inno- 
cent blood  with  which  he  had  stained  the  desert  but  a  few 
days  ago,  were  not  sufficient  to  glut  his  revenge  ;  or,  rather, 
to  make  him  tremble  for  the  judgments  which  such  a  career 
would  certainly  bring  upon  himself  and  his  people,  and 
which  had  already  begun  to  be  poured  out  on  the  blood- 
guilty  tribes  of  the  Orange  River  ?  After  having  talked  to 
him  for  some  time  in  this  strain,  I  begged  him  to  call  to 
mind  his  first  and  only  visit  to  me  while  with  Africaner  ; 
and  his  declaration,  at  a  subsequent  period,  that  he  and  his 
people  were  leaving,  because  it  was  rumoured  that  Africa- 
ner was  about  to  remove  from  the  country,  in  which  his 
presence  had  been  the  bond  of  union  ;  entreating  him  to 
compare  his  state  of  mind  at  that  time  with  what  it  was 
now.  This  had  scarcely  passed  my  lips,  when  he  ordered 
his  men  to  go  and  bring  the  cattle  which  had  been  taken 
from  our  people,  and  added,  that  he  would  not  go  a  step 
farther,  but  return  by  the  way  he  came.  In  the  course  of  a 
subsequent  conversation,  1  inquired  why  he  w^as  so  deter- 
mined on  not  seeing  me.  "  I  could  not  forget  your  kindness 
to  me  in  Namaqua-land,"  was  the  reply.  In  this  the  re- 
flecting reader  will  observe  a  fresh  instance  of  the  omnipo- 
tence of  love,  even  among  the  most  barbarous  of  the  human 
race. 

Affairs  being  settled,  and  the  cattle  returned,  the  principal 
men  were  allowed  to  come  to  my  house  unarmed  ;  but  no 
one  was  permitted  to  approach  the  intrenchments,  lest  they 
should  discover  that  the  timid  natives  they  saw  there  were 
only  a  mock  display  of  power  ;  for,  from  the  great  numbers 
on  the  station,  they  concluded  that  it  was  strong.  When 
evening  drew  on,  and  they  were  about  to  retire  to  their 
camp,  they  begged  of  me,  in  the  humblest  language,  not  to 
allow  the  Bechuanas  to  attack  them  during  the  night ;  when  ' 
I  assured  them  that  they  might  sleep  in  perfect  safety.  They 
said  that  such  had  been  their  terrors  of  conscience  for  nights 
past,  that  a  hyena  or  jackal  had  been  enough  to  frighten 
them  from  their  rendezvous  This  was  the  language  of  those 
who  had    heard  the  Gospel,  and  some  of  whom  had  once 

28 


326  PACIFIC    RESULTS. 

made  a  profession  of  faith  in  the  Son  of  God.  Thus  "  do 
the  wicked  flee  when  no  man  pursueth." 

The  visit  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Archbell  was  very  cheering  to 
us  under  these  circumstances,  for  which  we  united  in  giving 
thanks  to  the  Lord,  who  "  giveth  a  banner  to  them  that  fear 
him,  that  it  may  be  displayed  because  of  the  truth."  He 
sent  a  fear  into  the  hearts  of  the  enemy,  so  that  they  did  us 
no  harm.  Before  concluding  this  subject,  it  will  not  be  un- 
interesting to  notice  the  results.  The  party  remained  for 
two  days ;  and  Paul  having  informed  me,  privately,  that  it 
was  the  intention  of  some  of  the  commando  who  had  ac- 
companied him,  having  been  disappointed  of  booty  at  the 
Kuruman,  not  to  return  without  it,  and  were  for  that  pur- 
pose resolved  to  go  as  far  as  the  Barolongs  on  the  Molapo 
River,  I  embraced  this  opportunity  of  remonstrating  with 
them  on  their  intentions,  describing  the  country,  and  the 
danger  of  such  a  villanous  undertaking.  They  silenced* me, 
protesting  that  they  were  ignorant  of  such  a  plan. 

All  took  their  departure  :  Paul  and  his  adherents  went  to 
their  homes  ;  and  at  half  a  day's  journey  from  the  station, 
twenty-seven  of  the  number  turned  off,  and  directed  their 
course  towards  the  interior.  Of  this  we  were  informed,  but 
several  weeks  elapsed  before  we  knew  what  had  become  of 
them.  One  evening,  when  about  to  retire  to  rest,  a  faint 
rap  was  heard  at  the  door :  it  was  one  of  these  unhappy  in- 
dividuals, of  the  name  of  Isaacs:  he  had  nothing  on  him 
but  his  shoes,  having  cut  off  his  clothes  to  expedite  his  es- 
cape from  a  catastrophe,  which  had  destroyed  nearly  all  his 
companions.  From  his  statement,  it  appeared  that  the  party 
reached  the  Malapo,  and  had  taken  a  drove  of  cattle,  when 
they  wandered  from  their  course,  and  came  in  contact  with 
the  subjects  of  a  powerful  chief  of  the  Batlapis.  One  of 
these,  a  man  of  influence,  they  shot.  The  news  was  in- 
stantly conveyed  to  head-quarters:  a  plan  was  laid,  by  which 
they  fell  into  an  ambuscade,  whence  only  nine  narrowly  es- 
caped with  their  lives,  leaving  their  all  behind.  This  was 
among  the  last  efforts  of  the  hordes  of  ruthless  desperadoes, 
who  had  for  five  years  been  scattering,  throughout  the  tribes, 
deva.station,  famine,  and  death,  excepting  Jan  Bloom,  who 
removed  to  the  eastward,  and  made  repeated  but  unsuccess- 
ful attacks  on  the  people  of  Moselekatse.  They  had  filled 
up  their  cup  of  iniquity :  there  was  no  power  either  to  arrest 
or  overthrow  them :  human  attempts  only  fanned  the  flame 
of  discord :  the  Almighty  sent  forth  his  blast  upon  them,  and 
they  were  made  to  drink  of  the  bitter  cup  they  had  them- 


DIVINE   RETRIBUTION.  327 

selves  poured  out  to  others.  The  Bushmen,  pestilence,  pro- 
digality, and  beasts  of  prey,  deprived  them  of  their  thou- 
sands of  cattle  ;  disease  and  famine  thinned  their  camps  ; 
till,  at  length,  in  places  which  had  echoed  with  the  shouts 
of  savage  triumph  over  slaughtered  tribes,  and  the  noises  of 
rude  revelry  and  debauch,  nothing  is  heard  but  the  howl 
of  the  hyena,  as  an  appropriate  funeral  dirge  over  the  i*e- 
mains  of  a  people,  the  victims  of  insubordination,  ferocity, 
and  lust. 

Tiiese  awful  judgments  on  some  were  not  without  the 
most  salutary  results  to  others.  So  evidently  was  the  hand 
of  God  displayed,  that  the  atheistical  Bechuanas  were  won- 
derfully impressed  with  the  truth  of  an  overruling  Provi- 
dence ;  Avhich  doctrine  they  had,  as  a  nation,  hitherto  treated 
as  visionary  and  false.  They  had  ocular  demonstration  of 
w^hat  we  had  told  them  was  the  w^ord  of  God,  that  the 
triumphing  of  the  wicked  is  short,  and  that  Jehovah  would 
scatter  them  that  delight  in  M'ar.  The  notorious  apostate, 
Jacob  Cloete,  the  ringleader  of  that  section  which  had  scat- 
tered devastation  among  the  Kuruman  tribes,  was  impover- 
ished by  his  companions  in  crime,  and  retired  to  Berend's 
people  a  beggar.  He  visited  us  as  such  at  the  Kuruman. 
It  would  not  have  been  unnatural  to  expect  that  the  Bechu- 
anas, to  M'hom  he  had  been  as  the  demon  of  destruction, 
would  have  treated  him  with  contumely,  or  sought  revenge. 
No ;  though  they  were  yet  comparative  heathens,  they  look- 
ed on  his  tall,  haggard  form,  and  emaciated  countenance, 
with  sympathy  ;  and  seeing  him  look  wild,  and  start,  as  if 
the  air  he  breathed  was  charged  with  spectres,  arrows,  and 
death,  they  presented  him  with  food,  and  retired,  remarking, 
"  O  chueroe  ki  poitsego,''  he  is  seized  by  terrors."  He  soon 
afterwards  died,  the  victira  of  remorse  and  shame 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

While  thus  the  judgments  of  the  Lord  were  abroad 
among  the  tribes,  the  appearances  on  the  station  were  indi- 
cative of  the   long-desired  change.     The  temporary  chapel 


328  DELIGHTFUL    CHANGE. 

was  becoming  too  small.  The  readiness  with  which  many 
answered  the  questions  of  Dr.  William  Brown's  Catechism, 
which  had  been  translated,  and  an  increasing  fixedness  of 
attention  to  the  preacher,  were  like  the  glimmering  light  on 
the  eastern  sky,  so  long  watched  for, — the  presaging  tints  of 
the  brighter  rays  which  were,  ere  long,  to  gild  the  horizon, 
— the  harbingers  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arising  on  a 
benighted  people. 

Mr.  Hamilton,  who  had  been  detained  unusually  long  in 
the  colony  and  on  the  road,  from  severe  drought  and  loss  of 
oxen,  to  our  great  joy  arrived  in  the  end  of  August,  1 828. 
This  veteran  and  faithful  labourer,  who  might  with  great 
propriety  be  called  the  father  of  the  Bechuana  mission,  was 
beyond  measure  delighted  to  find,  although  our  circumstances 
had  been  perilous  during  his  absence,  that  now  his  mental 
energies  were  to  be  called  into  exercise  in  a  way  he  had 
scarcely  dared  to  anticipate.  Shortly  after  this  we  were  fa- 
voured with  the  manifest  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  from  on 
high.  The  moral  wilderness  was  now  about  to  blossom. 
Sable  cheeks  bedewed  with  tears  attracted  our  observation. 
To  see  females  weep  was  nothing  extraordinary ;  it  was,  ac- 
cording to  Bechuana  notions,  their  province,  and  theirs  alone. 
Men  would  not  weep.  After  having,  by  the  rite  of  circum- 
cision, become  men,  they  scorned  to  shed  a  tear.  In  family 
or  national  afflictions,  it  was  the  woman's  work  to  weep  and 
wail ;  the  man's  to  sit  in  sullen  silence,  often  brooding  deeds 
of  revenge  and  death.  The  simple  Gospel  now  melted 
their  flinty  hearts ;  and  eyes  now  wept,  which  never  before 
shed  the  tear  of  hallowed  sorro^^^  Notwithstanding  our 
earnest  desires  and  fervent  prayers,  we  were  taken  by  sur- 
prise. We  had  so  long  been  accustomed  to  indifference,  that 
we  felt  unprepared  to  look  on  a  scene  M^iich  perfectly  over- 
whelmed our  minds.  Our  temporary  httle  chapel  became  a 
Bochim — a  place  of  weeping;  and  the  sympathy  of  feeling 
spread  from  heart  to  heart,  so  that  even  infants  wept.  Some, 
after  gazing  with  extreme  intensity  of  feeling  on  the  preach- 
er, would  fall  down  in  hysterics,  and  others  were  carried  out 
in  a  state  of  great  exhaustion. 

Some  months  previous  to  these  changes,  Aaron  Josephs, 
who  was  once  a  runaway  slave,  but  who  had,  through  the 
kind  interference  of  G.  Thompson,  Esq.,  obtained  his  manu- 
mission for  the  sum  of  1,500  rix-doUars,  the  proceeds  of  ivory 
he  had  collected  for  that  purpose,  left  his  farm  for  a  time, 
and  came  to  reside  at  the  station,  for  the  sake  of  the  educa- 


CHEERING    FRUITS.  329 

tion  of  his  childrerij  as  well  as  to  improve  himself  in  reading 
and  writing. 

Both  he  and  his  wife  were  steady  and  industrious,  having 
come  from  the  colony,  M'here  they  had  enjoyed  some  advan- 
tages. He,  also,  was  awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  danger, 
and  having  a  tolerahly  extensive  knowledge  of  divine  truth, 
he  was  soon  a  candidate  for  Christian  fellowship,  and  was, 
with  his  three  children,  baptized  at  the  same  time  with  our 
own  infant.  The  scene,  from  the  previous  state  of  feeling, 
was  deeply  impressive  and  exciting.  Notwithstanding  all 
our  endeavours  to  preserve  decorum  in  the  crowded  place 
of  worship,  strong  feeling  gave  rise  to  much  weeping  and 
considerable  confusion  ;  but,  although  it  was  impossible  to 
keep  either  order  or  silence,  a  deep  impression  of  the  Divine 
presence  was  felt.  The  work  which  had  commenced  in  the 
minds  of  the  natives  received  an  additional  impulse  from  the 
above  circumstance  ;  so  that  the  sounds  predominant 
throughout  the  village  were  those  of  singing  and  prayer. 
Those  under  concern  held  prayer-meetings  from  house  to 
house,  and  when  there  were  none  able  to  engage  in  prayer, 
they  sang  till  a  late  hour,  and  before  morning  dawned,  they 
would  assemble  again  at  some  house  for  worship,  before 
going  to  labour.  We  were,  soon  after  this  interesting  occur- 
rence, delighted  with  farther  results.  Aaron  and  two  other 
men  came  and  offered  to  take  upon  themselves  the  labour 
and  expense  of  raising  a  school-house,  which  would  serve  as 
a  place  of  worsliip,  till  one  for  that  special  purpose  was 
erected.  All  they  required  was  the  plan ;  and  the  doors 
and  windows,  with  their  frames,  which  they  would  also  have 
made,  but  they  lacked  abihty.  This  department,  of  course 
Mr.  Hamilton  thankfully  undertook.  It  was  a  voluntary  act 
on  their  part,  without  the  subject  having  been  once  hinted 
at.  We  had  scarcely  laid  down  the  plan,  fifty-one  feet  long 
by  sixteen  wide,  when  Aaron,  who  was  by  trade  both  builder 
and  thatcher,  set  all  in  motion.  The  season  happened  to  be 
a  rainy  one,  and  as  the  walls  were  made  of  clay,  there  were 
serious  interruptions ;  but  it  was  nevertheless  soon  com- 
pleted ;  for  all  who  felt  interested  in  the  work,  even  women 
and  children,  gave  what  assistance  was  in  their  power, 
carrying  clay,  laths  from  the  bushes,  materials  for  thatch,  or  * 
whatever  else  could  contribute  to  its  erection.  It  afforded 
us  no  small  gratification  to  see  the  building  finished  with 
zeal  equal  to  that  with  wliich  it  was  commenced.  Many 
important  improvetnents  were  at  the  same  time  made  in  the 
outward  affairs  of  the  mission,  in  which  there  was  no  lack 

28* 


330  BAPTISM    OF   THE    CONVERTS. 

of  native  assistance,  while  the  language  and  translations 
were  attended  to,  to  supply  the  wants  of  those  who  were 
now  beginning  to  thirst  alter  Divine  knowledge. 

The  building  was  opened  in  the  month  of  May,  1829,  and 
in  the  following  month  we  selected  from  among  the  inqui- 
rers six  candidates  for  baptism.  This  was  not  done  without 
much  prayer  and  deliberation.  These  had  given  us  very 
satisfactory  proofs  of  a  change  of  heart.  After  particular 
private  examination,  separately,  they  were  found  to  possess 
a  much  larger  knowledge  of  Divine  truth  than  was  expected  ; 
and  their  answers  were  most  satisfactory ;  it  was  truly 
gratifying  to  observe  the  simplicity  of  their  faith,  implicitly 
relying  on  the  atonement  of  Christ,  of  which  they  appeared 
to  have  a  very  clear  conception,  considering  the  previous 
darkness  of  their  minds  on  such  subjects.  They  were  there- 
fore baptized  on  the  first  sabbath  of  July,  when  other  cir- 
cumstances concurred  to  impart  additional  interest  to  the 
solemnity.  It  appeared  as  if  it  had  been  the  design  of 
Providence  to  call  together,  from  all  quarters,  an  unusual 
and  most  unexpected  number  of  spectators  from  Philippolis, 
Campbell,  Griqua  Town,  and  Boochuap.  From  these 
places  there  were  present  about  fifty  Griquas,  who  happened 
to  congregate  here  previous  to  their  proceeding  on  a  hunting 
expedition.  These  were  suitably  and  profitably  impressed 
with  what  transpired,  for  they  themselves  had  been  for  some 
time  previous  in  a  lukewarm  state,  and  were  thus  awakened 
to  jealousy  about  their  own  condition,  by  seeing  the  Bechua- 
nas  pressing  into  the  fold  of  Christ,  while  they  by  their 
backslidings  were  being  thrust  out,  and  to  this  we  frequently 
afterwards  heard  that  people  bear  testimony. 

There  were  also  present,  parties  irom  different  places  of 
the  interior,  who  had  come  for  purposes  of  barter.  The 
place  of  worship  was  crowded  to  excess,  and  the  greatest  in- 
terest excited  by  a  scene  which  was  indeed  a  novelty  to  many, 
the  service  being  conducted  in  the  Bechuana  language.  Af- 
ter a  sermon  on  John  i.  29,  a  suitable  address  was  given  to 
the  candidates,  and  when  a  number  of  questions  had  been 
asked,  they  were  baptized,  with  five  of  their  children. 
Among  them  was  Rachel,  the  wife  of  Aaron,  whom  Mr. 
Hamilton  addressed  in  Dutch,  she  being  more  conversant 
with  that  language  ;  the  others  were  Bechuanas.  In  the 
evening  we  sat  down  together  to  commemorate  the  death  of 
our  Lord.*     Our  number,  including  ourselves  and  a  Griqua^ 

*  It  may  not  be  unworthy  of  remark,  that  on  the  Friday  evening  pre- 
vious, we  received  from  John  Greaves,  Esq.,  of  Sheffield,  communion 


EXPECTATIONS   REALIZED.  331 

was  twelve.  It  was  an  interesting,  cheering,  and  encourag- 
ing season  to  our  souls ;  and  we  concluded  the  delightfid  ex- 
ercises oi"  the  day  by  taking  coffee  together  in  the  evening. 
Our  feelings  on  that  occasion  were  such  as  our  pen  would 
fail  to  describe.  We  were  as  those  that  dreamed,  while  we 
realized  the  promise  on  which  our  souls  had  often  hung. 
"  He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious  seed, 
shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his 
sheaves  with  him."  The  hour  had  arrived  on  which  the 
whole  energies  of  our  souls  had  been  intensely  fixed,  when 
we  should  see  a  church,  however  small,  gathered  from  among 
a  people  who  had  so  long  boasted  that  neither  Jesus,  nor  we, 
his  servants,  should  ever  see  Bechuanas  worship  and  confess 
him  as  their  King. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  glance  at  the  records  of  that  mission 
from  its  commencement,  to  be  able  in  some  measure  to  con- 
ceive the  emotions  such  a  change  produced  on  our  minds. 
We  had  long  felt  assured  that  when  once  the  Spirit  was 
poured  out  from  on  high,  and  when  some  of  the  natives  had 
made  a  public  profession  of  their  faith  in  the  Redeemer  of 
the  world,  or,  in  other  words,  when  Jehovah  should  peribrm 
his  promise,  great  would  be  the  company  of  those  who 
would  publish  or  bear  witness  to  the  same.  In  this  expec- 
tation we  have  been  fully  borne  out  by  the  number  of  mission- 
aries who  have  since  entered  the  country,  the  chapels  which 
have  been  built,  the  schools  raised,  the  crowded  audiences 
and  flourishing  churches  which  have  succeeded,  not  only  at 
our  own  stations,  but  at  those  of  the  French  and  Wesleyan 
missionaries  ;  and  extending  from  the  Winter  Bergen  which 
bound  Kafraria  to  the  Kalagare  desert  on  the  west. 

Great  as  was  the  change,  we  still  rejoiced  with  trembling  ; 
having  too  often  witnessed  the  successful  attempts  of  Satan 
to  frustrate  our  efforts,  and  blast  our  former  hopes,  to  imag- 
ine that  he  who  had  hitherto  reigned  without  a  rival  among 
the  tribes,  would  calmly  submit  to  the  violence  done  to  his 
ancient  rights,  without  attacking  us  on  fresh  ground.  His 
kingdom  had  at  last  been  successfully  assailed,  and  a  breach 
made,  but  he  who  had  lately  roared  so  loud,  might  roar  again. 
We  therefore  felt  we  needed  a  double  portion  of  the  Spirit, 

vessels  and  pulpit  candlesticks,  for  which  Mrs.  M,  had  applied  two  years 
before,  on  Mrs.  Greaves,  her  particular  friend,  kindly  expres.sinij  a  wish 
to  know  what  she  should  send  her.  This,  she  requested,  in  the  con- 
fidence of  faith,  that  they  would  some  time  be  needed,  dark  as  things 
then  appeared  ;  and  singular  enough  they  arrived  at  the  very  juncture  of 
time  in  which  they  were  wanted,  after  being  twelve  months  on  the  road 


332  THE   GOSPEL    CIVILIZES.  . 

that  we  might  be  watchful  to  preserve,  as  well  as  to  win 
souls.  A  great  work  had  yet  to  be  done  before  we  could 
dare  to  glory.  We  knew  that  there  were  many  prejudices 
to  be  overcome,  much  rubbish  to  be  cleared  away.  The  re- 
lation in  which  the  believers  stood  to  their  heathen  neigh- 
bours would  expose  their  faith  to  trial.  Some  of  them  were 
a  kind  of  serfs  of  others,  who  would  rage  at  any  innovation 
iTiade  on  their  former  habits,  all  of  which  were  congenial  to 
sensual  men,  and  opposed  alike  to  conversion  and  civiliza- 
tion. But  we  prayed  and  believed  that  He  who  had  begun 
a  good  work  would  carry  it  on. 

From  what  has  been  said  in  a  preceding  part  of  the  pre- 
sent work,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  was  no  more  in  our  power 
to  change  their  dress  and  habits,  than  it  was  to  change  their 
hearts,  and  we  were  convinced  that  evangelization  must 
precede  civilization.  Much  has  been  said  about  civilizing 
savages,  before  attempting  to  evangelize  them.  This  is  a 
theory  which  has  obtained  an  extensive  prevalence  among 
the  wise  men  of  this  world ;  but  we  have  never  yet  seen  a 
practical  demonstration  of  its  truth.  It  is  very  easy  in  a 
country  of  high  refinement  to  speculate  on  what  might  be 
done  among  rude  and  savage  men,  but  the  Christian  mis- 
sionary, the  only  experimentalist,  has  invariably  found  that 
to  make  the  fruit  good,  the  tree  must  first  be  made  good, 
and  that  nothing  less  than  the  power  of  divine  grace  can 
reform  the  hearts  of  savages,  after  which  the  mind  is  suscep- 
tible of  those  instructions,  which  teach  them  to  adorn  the 
Gospel  they  profess,  in  their  attire  as  well  as  in  their  spirit 
and  actions.  It  would  appear  a  strange  anomaly,  to  see  a 
Christian  professor  lying  at  full  length  on  the  ground  covered 
with  filth  and  dirt,  and  in  a  state  of  comparative  nudity, 
talking  about  christian  dihgence,  circumspection,  purification, 
and  white  robes!  The  Gospel  teaches  that  all  things 
should  be  done  decently  and  in  order ;  and  the  Gospel  alone 
can  lead  the  savage  to  appreciate  the  arts  of  civihzed  hfe  as 
well  as  the  blessings  of  redemption.  The  heathen  themselves 
occasionally  reflect  on  its  influence.  An  African  chief,  who 
though  a  stranger  to  the  power  which  converts  the  soul, 
seemed  aware  that  it  required  some  superior  energy  to  re- 
form the  manners,  addressing  the  author  when  tracing  civi- 
hzation  to  its  proper  source,  said,  "  What,  is  it  the  precepts 
of  that  book,"  pointing  to  the  Gospel  of  Luke  which  I  held 
in  my  hand,  "  which  has  made  you  what  you  are,  and  taught 
the  white  people  such  wisdom  ;  and  is  it  that  mahuku  a  mo- 
lemo,  (good  news,)  which  has  made  your  nation  new,  and 


NATIVE   COSTUME.  333 

t 

clothed  you,  compared  with  whom  we  are  like  the  game  of 
the  desert?" 

Although,  as  has  been  stated,  the  term  savages,  when 
appHed  to  Bechuanas,  must  be  understood  in  a  restricted 
sense,  there  was  nothing  either  very  comely  or  comfortable 
in  the  dress  of  either  sex,  yet  such  was  their  attachment  to 
it,  that  any  one  deviating  from  it  was  considered  a  harlequin. 
The  child,  is  carried  in  a  skin  on  the  mother's  back,  with  its 
chest  lying  close  to  her  person.  When  it  requires  to  be  re- 
moved from  that  position,  it  is  often  wet  with  perspiration  ; 
and  from  being  thus  exposed  to  cold  wind,  pulmonary  com- 
plaints are  not  unfrequently  brought  on.  As  soon  as  a  child 
is  born,  its  head  is  shaved,  leaving  a  small  tuft  on  the  im- 
perfectly ossified  part  of  the  skull ;  and  when  but  a  few  weeks 
old  the  little  head  may  be  seen  hanging  over  the  skin  in 
which  it  is  carried,  shining  with  grease,  and  exposed  to  the 
rays  of  an  almost  vertical  sun,  yet  the  coup  de  soleil  is  not 
of  frequent  occurrence  either  in  infants  or  adults.  The  na- 
tives, however,  are  far  from  admiring  a  hot  sun,  and  it  is  not 
uncommon  to  hear  them  say,  "  letsatsi  le  utluega  yang  ?" 
"  how  does  the  sun  feel?"  and  this  exclamation  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  for  I  have  known  the  action  of  the  sun's  rays 
so  powerful  on  the  masses  of  grease  and  black  shining  ochre 
on  the  head,  as  to  cause  it  to  run  down  their  necks  and  blis- 
ter the  skin.  They  are  therefore  often  found  carrying  a 
parasol  made  of  black  ostrich  feathers,  and  in  the  absence 
of  these  will  hold  a  small  branch  over  their  heads.  I  have 
frequently  observed  the  Matabele  warriors  carrying  their 
shields  over  their  heads  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  commencement  made,  although  on  a  very  small 
scale  compared  with  those  mighty  movements  recorded  in 
the  overthrow  of  idolatry  in  some  of  the  islands  of  the  South 
Seas,  was,  nevertheless,  what  we  had  for  many  a  long  year 
ardently  desired  to  see  with  our  eyes,  and  to  hear  with  our 
ears.  To  listen  to  Buchuanas  exclaiming,  "  We  have  been 
like  the  beasts  before  God,  what  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  ?" 
and  to  observe  them  receiving  with  meekness  the  milk  of  the 
word,  produced  in  our  minds  sensations  not  unlike  those  expe- 
rienced by  aged  Simeon,  when  he  held  the  infant  Saviour  in 
his  arms.  We  were  naturally  led  to  anticipate  an  outward 
change  among  the  inquirers  corresponding  with  their  pro- 
fessions. Those  who  were  baptized,  had  previously  procured 
decent  raiment,  and  prepared  it  for  the  occasion  with  Mrs. 
M.'s  assistance,  who  had  to  supply  two  of  the  women  with 
gowns  from  her  own  wardrobe.     Hitherto  a  sewing  school 


334  DAWN   OF   CIVILIZATION. 

had  been  uncalled  for,  the  women's  work  being  that  of  build- 
ing houses,  raising  fences  and  cultivating  the  ground,  while 
the  lords  of  the  creation,  for  their  own  convenience  and  com- 
fort, had  from  time  immemorial  added  to  their  pursuits  the 
exercise  of  sewing  their  garments,  which  from  their  durabil- 
ity and  scanty  supply,  was  anything  but  a  laborious  work. 

It  was  a  novel  sight  to  observe  women  and  young  girls 
handling  the  little  bright  instrument,  which  was  scarcely 
perceptible  to  the  touch  of  fingers  accustomed  to  grasp  the 
handle  of  a  pickaxe,  or  to  employ  them  to  supply  the  ab- 
sence of  trowels.  But  they  were  willing,  and  Mrs  M.,  in 
order  to  encourage  them,  engaged  to  meet  them  as  often  as 
her  strength  would  permit.  She  had  soon  a  motley  group 
of  pupils,  very  [ew  of  the  whole  party  possessing  either  a 
frock  or  gown.  The  scarcity  of  materials  was  a  seri- 
ous impediment  to  progress,  and  living  as  we  did  far  be- 
yond the  reach  of  traders,  and  six  hundred  miles  from  a 
market  town,  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  obtain  them,  at 
least  just  when  wanted.  The  same  Gospel  which  had 
taught  them  that  they  were  spiritually  miserable,  blind,  and 
naked,  discovered  to  them  also  that  they  needed  reform  ex- 
ternally, and  thus  prepared  their  minds  to  adopt  those  modes 
of  comfort,  cleanliness,  and  convenience  which  they  had 
been  accustomed  to  view  only  as  the  peculiarities  of  a  strange 
people.  Thus,  by  the  slow  but  certain  progress  of  Gospel 
principles,  whole  families  became  clothed  and  in  their  right 
mind.  Ornaments  which  were  formerly  in  high  repute,  as 
adorning,  but  more  frequently  disfiguring  their  persons,  were 
now  turned  into  bullion  to  purchase  skins  of  animals,  which 
being  prepared  almost  as  soft  as  cloth,  Avere  made  into  jack- 
ets, trowsers,  and  gowns.  When  opportunity  was  afibrded 
by  the  visit  of  a  trader,  British  manufactures  were  eagerly 
purchased. 

For  a  long  period,  when  a  man  was  seen  to  make  a  pair 
of  trowsers  for  himself,  or  a  woman  a  gown,  it  was  a  sure 
intimation  that  we  might  expect  additions  to  our  inquirers  ; 
abandoning  the  custom  of  painting  the  body,  and  beginning 
to  wash  with  water,  was  with  them  what  cutting  ofi'  the  hair 
was  among  the  South  Sea  islanders,  a  public  renunciation 
of  heathenism.  In  the  progress  of  improvement  during  the 
years  which  followed,  and  by  which  many  individuals  who 
made  no  profession  of  the  Gospel  were  influenced,  we  were 
frequently  much  amused.  A  man  might  be  seen  in  a  jacket 
\  with  but  one  sleeve,  because  the  other  was  not  finished,  or 
he  lacked  material  to  complete  it.     Another  in  a  leathern 


NOVEL    FASHIONS.  335 

or  (lufTel  jacket,  with  the  sleeves  of  different  colours,  or  of  .^ 
fine  printed  cotton.  Gowns  were  seen  like  Joseph's  coat  of 
many  colours,  and  dresses  of  such  fantastic  shapes,  as  were  \ 
calculated  to  excite  a  smile  in  the  gravest  of  us.  It  was  ■ 
somewhat  entertaining  to  witness  the  various  applications 
made  to  Mrs.  Moffat,  who  was  the  only  European  female  on  I 
the  station,  for  assistance  in  the  fabrication  of  dress,  nor 
were  these  confined  to  female  applicants.  As  it  was  seen 
that  these  matters  were  left  to  her,  they  thought  that  she 
must  needs  be  mistress  of  all  the  arts  of  civilized  life,  and 
consequently  capable  of  instructing  men  as  well  as  women. 
One  would  bring  prepared  skins  to  get  them  cut  into  dresses, 
another  wanted  a  jacket,  and  a  third  would  be  desirous  of  a 
pattern,  while  another  would  bring  his  garment  sewed  up- 
side down,  and  ask  why  it  would  not  fit.  These  efforts, 
however  trifling  they  may  appear,  were  the  precursors  of  a 
mighty  change,  and  the  elements  of  a  system  which  was 
destined  to  sweep  away  the  filth  and  customs  of  former 
generations,  and  to  open  up  numberless  channels  for  British 
commerce,  which  but  for  the  Gospel  might  have  remained 
for  ever  closed. 

Our  congregation  now  became  a  variegated  mass,  in- 
cluding all  descriptions,  from  the  lubricated  wild  man  of  the 
desert,  to  the  clean,  comfortable,  and  well-dressed  believer. 
The  same  spirit  difiused  itself  through  all  the  routine  of 
household  economy.  Formerly  a  chest,  a  chair,  a  candle,  or 
a  table,  were  things  unknown,  and  supposed  to  be  only  the 
superfluous  accompaniments  of  beings  of  another  order. 
Although  they  never  disputed  the  superiority  of  our  attain- 
ments in  being  able  to  manufacture  these  superfluities,  they 
would  however  question  our  common  sense  in  taking  so  much 
trouble  about  them.  They  thought  us  particularly  extrava- 
gant in  burning  fat  in  the  form  of  candles,  instead  of  rubbing 
it  on  our  bodies,  or  depositing  it  in  our  stomachs.  Hitherto 
when  they  had  milked  their  cows,  they  retired  to  their  houses 
and  yards,  to  sit  moping  over  a  few  embers,  seldom  afford- 
ing sufficient  light  to  see  what  they  were  eating,  or  even 
each  other;  at  night,  spreading  the  dry  hide  of  some  animal 
on  the  floor,  they  would  lie  down  in  their  skin  cloaks,  making 
a  blanket  at  night  of  what  had  been  their  mantle  all  day. 
They  soon  found  to  read  in  the  evening  or  by  night  required 
a  more  steady  light  than  that  afforded  by  a  flickering  flame 
from  a  bit  of  wood.  Candle  moulds  and  rags  for  wicks  were 
now  in  requisition,  and  tallow  carefully  preserved,  when 
bunches  of  candles  were  shortly  to  be  seen  suspended  from 


^36  EXAMPLES   OF    NATIVE    EXPERIENCE. 

the  wall,  a  spectacle  far  more  gratifjdng  to  us  than  the  most 
charming  picture,  an  indication  of  the  superior  light  which 
had  entered  their  abodes. 

Our  prospects  continued  cheering,  and  the  increasing 
anxiety  for  instruction  and  the  growth  of  knowledge  among 
our  candidates,  greatly  strengthened  our  hands.  The  ex- 
perience of  those  who  had  been  received  into  church  fellow- 
ship, as  well  as  those  under  convictions,  was  often  simply 
but  expressively  stated.  "  I  seek  Jesus,"  one  would  say ;  and 
another,  "  I  am  feeling  after  God ;  I  have  been  wandering, 
unconscious  of  my  danger,  among  beasts  of  prey ;  the  day 
has  dawned,  I  see  my  danger."  A  third  would  say,  "  I  have 
been  sleeping  in  the  lion's  den  ;  or  been  blown  to  and  fro 
like  a  calabash  upon  the  water,  and  might  have  sunk."  We 
could  not  help  fearing  in  the  midst  of  this  excitement,  that 
in  many  it  would  prove  only  like  the  morning  cloud  and  early 
dew,  and  therefore  found  it  necessary  to  exercise  great  cau- 
tion in  receiving  members  into  the  little  church. 

The  following  circumstance  occurred  about  this  time, 
which  was  of  the  Lord,  to  encourage  us,  and  strengthen 
the  faith  of  those  who  had  put  their  hand  to  the  plough. 
Several  females  had  been  carried  off  by  the  kuatsi,  the  dis- 
ease described  in  page  291.  Among  these  was  a  married 
woman,  who  had  been  a  very  diligent  inquirer  after  divine 
truth.  Before  the  disease  began  to  assume  a  fatal  appear- 
ance, she  spoke  very  clearly  on  the  immense  value  ol"  the 
instructions  to  which  she  had  lately  paid  so  much  attention, 
at  the  same  time  professing  the  most  lively  hope  of  eternal 
life  through  the  atonement  of  Jesus.  A  few  days  subsequent 
to  this  declaration,  feeling  that  the  harbingers  of  death  had 
arrived,  she  called  her  husband  and  friends,  and  addressed 
them  in  language  affecting  and  arousing,  exhorting  them  to 
believe  in  the  words  of  Jehovah,  to  flee  for  refuge  to  Jesus 
as  the  only  Saviour.  "  I  am  going  to  die."  This  was  start- 
ling language  from  the  lips  of  a  Mochuana.  Some  listened 
with  amazement,  and  others  wept.  "  Weep  not,"  she  said, 
"  because  I  am  going  to  leave  you,  but  weep  for  your  sins 
and  weep  for  your  souls.  With  me  all  is  well,  for  do  not 
suppose  that  I  die  like  a  beast,  or  that  I  shall  sleep  for  ever 
in  the  grave.  No  !  Jesus  has  died  for  my  sins  ;  he  has  said 
he  will  save  me,  I  am  going  to  be  with  him."  Shortly  after 
bearing  this  testimony,  she  who  a  few  months  before,  accord- 
ing to  her  own  language,  w^as  as  ignorant  as  the  cattle  in  the 
fold,  now  left  the  w^orld  with  the  full  assurance  of  an  eternal 
life  beyond  the  grave. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

In  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1829,  two  traders  journeyed 
into  the  interior  for  the  purpose  of  shooting  elephants,  and  to 
barter.  Hearing  at  the  Bahurutsi  that  a  tribe  possessing 
much  cattle  lived  at  some  distance  eastward,  they  proceeded 
thither,  and  were  received  in  a  friendly  manner  by  Mosele- 
katse,*  the  king  of  that  division  of  Zoolus  called  Abaka  Zoo- 
lus,  or  more  generally  Matabele.  He,  however,  only  allow- 
ed them  to  approach  one  of  his  cattle  outposts  on  horseback. 
Prior  to  this  visit  this  tribe  had  had  some  intercourse  with 
the  Bahurutsi,  by  whom  they  obtained  partial  information 
respecting  white  people,  and  particularly  those  on  the  Kuru- 
man  station,  with  whom  they  were  best  acquainted.  Dur- 
ing the  time  of  his  residence  on  the  Lekua,  and  other  sources 
of  the  Orange  River,  his  people  had  been  attacked  by  the 
Bergenaars,  but  as  these  were  only  Griquas  and  Corannas,  he 
was  in  comparative  ignorance  of  the  character  and  disposi- 
tions of  the  whites.  When  these  traders  returned,  Mosele- 
katse  sent  with  them  two  of  his  liniuna,  or  chief  men,  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  a  more  particular  knowledge  of  his 
white  neighbours  ;  charging  them  particularly  to  make  them- 
selves acquainted  with  the  manners  and  instructions  of  the 
Kuruman  teachers.  On  their  arrival  they  were  astonished 
beyond  measure  with  every  thing  they  saw,  and  as  they,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  their  nation,  were  in  a  state  of  nu- 
dity, their  appearance  very  much  shocked  the  comparatively 
delicate  feelings  of  the  Bechuanas,  barbarians  as  they  were. 
These  visitors,  however,  most  cheerfully  acquiesced  in  our 
suggestions,  for  the  sake  of  decency  and  propriety.  They 
were  shown  every  mark  of  attention,  which  was  received 
with  a  politeness  to  which  we  had  been  entirely  unaccus- 
tomed among  the  Bechuanas,  which  convinced  us  that  true 
politeness  was  not  confined  to  birth  or  civilization,  and  point- 
ed out  to  us  that  our  visitors  were  the  nobles  of  the  nation 
to  which  they  belonged.  Every  thing  calculated  to  interest 
was  exhibited  to  them.  Our  houses,  the  walls  of  our  folds 
and  gardens,  the  water  ditch  conveying  a  large  stream  out 

*  He  calls  himself  Moselekatse,  sounding  the  e  as  in  emit,  but  is  also 
called  Umselekas,  or  Umsiligas,  by  the  Kafir  and  Zoolu  tribes. 

29 


338  DANGER  ATTENDING  THEIR  RETURN. 

of  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  the  smith's  forge  filled  them  with 
admiration  and  astonishment,  which  they  expressed  not  in 
the  wild  gestures  generally  made  by  the  mere  plebeian,  but 
by  the  utmost  gravity  and  profound  veneration,  as  well  as 
the  most  respectful  demeanour.  "  You  are  men,  we  are  but 
children,"  said  one  ;  while  the  other  observed,  "  Mosele- 
katse  must  be  taught  all  these  things."  When  standing  in 
the  hall  of  our  house,  looking  at  the  strange  furniture  of  a 
civilized  abode,  the  eye  of  one  caught  a  small  looking-glass, 
on  which  he  gazed  with  admiration.  Mrs.  M.  handed  him 
one  which  was  considerably  larger  ;  he  looked  intensely  at 
his  reflected  countenance,  and  never  having  seen  it  before, 
supposed  it  was  that  of  one  of  his  attendants  on  the  other 
side  ;  he  very  abruptly  put  his  hand  behind  it,  telling  him  to 
be  gone,  but  looking  again  at  the  same  face,  he  cautiously 
turned  it,  and  seeing  nothing,  he  returned  the  glass  with 
great  gravity  to  Mrs.  M.,  saying  that  he  could  not  trust  it. 

Nothing  appeared  to  strike  them  so  forcibly  as  the  public 
worship  in  our  chapel.  They  saw  men  like  themselves  meet 
together  Math  great  decorum  ;  mothers  hushing  their  babes, 
or  hastily  retiring  if  they  made  any  noise,  and  the  elder  chil- 
dren sitting  perfectly  silent.  When  the  missionary  ascended 
the  pulpit,  they  listened  to  the  hymn  sung,  and  though  from 
their  ignorance  of  the  Bechuana  language  they  could  not 
imderstand  all  that  was  said,  they  were  convinced  that  some- 
thing very  serious  was  the  subject  of  the  address.  The  or- 
der and  fervour  which  pervaded  all  parts  of  the  service,  be- 
wildered their  minds,  which,  from  their  infancy  had  been 
accustomed  to  observe  every  public  meeting  introduced  and 
characterized  by  the  hoarse  war-song  and  displays  of  chiv- 
alry. They  were  inquisitive  about  every  thing,  and  were 
surprised  to  find  that  the  hymns  we  sung  were  not  war  songs, 
expressive  of  the  wild  reveries  which  the  associations  of  mu- 
sic brought  to  their  minds.  We  embraced  every  opportunity 
of  telling  them  the  simple  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  laboured 
to  impress  on  their  minds  the  blessings  of  peace. 

These  men  had  intended  to  visit  the  white  man's  country, 
the  colony,  but  this  was  found  inconvenient,  and  involved 
considerable  difliculty  as  to  how  they  were  to  be  returned  in 
safety.  Accordingly,  a  Hottentot,  who  had  accompanied 
the  traders  as  a  wagon-driver,  was  appointed  by  them  to 
reconduct  our  visitors  from  our  station  to  their  own  land. 
To  this  arrangement  the  latter  made  some  objections,  and 
it  was  well,  for  the  character  of  the  man  was  such  as  to 
make  him  a  fit  tool  for  so  cruel  a  monarch  as  Moselekatse 


DANGER  ATTENDING  THEIR.  RETURN.         339 

was  reported  to  be.  While  this  subject  was  under  consider- 
ation, 'Umbate  and  his  companion  entered  my  house,  with 
dejected  looks,  and  requested  a  private  interview ;  he  in- 
formed me  that  reports  had  reached  his  ear,  that  the  Be- 
chuana  tribes,  through  which  they  had  to  pass  on  the  road 
homeward,  were  meditating  their  destruction.  Of  this  we 
had  had  our  suspicions,  and  only  wished  these  noble  visitors 
had  not  been  brought  to  a  missionary  station,  for  we  could 
not  pretend  to  defend  them  by  a  superior  force.  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton, Mrs.  M.,  and  I  met  again  and  again  to  deliberate  on 
the  subject,  but  we  were  at  our  wit's  end.  We  took  into 
consideration  the  warlike  character,  and  almost  overwhelm- 
ing power  of  the  Mantabele,  who  had  already  destroyed 
many  powerful  tribes,  and  saturated  the  Bakone  hills  and 
plains  with  blood,  following  up  the  destruction  commenced 
by  the  Mantatees.  We  could  not  help  almost  trembling  at 
the  possible  consequences  of  the  ambassadors  of  such  a 
power  being  butchered  on  the  road.  Having  maturely 
considered  the  subject,  and  implored  Divine  direction,  it  was 
resolved  that  I  should  take  charge  of  them,  as  far  as  the 
Bahurutsi  country,  from  which  they  could  proceed  without 
danger  to  their  own  land  and  people.  The  strangers  mo.st 
gratefully  accepted  of  this  proposal,  their  eyes  glistening  with 
delight.  A  wagon  was  hired,  in  addition  to  my  own,  for 
their  conveyance.  Though  these  men  were,  strictly  speak- 
ing, savages,  we  were  convinced  that  they  were  persons  of 
influence  and  authority  under  their  own  sovereign,  by  the 
simple  dignity  of  their  deportment,  and  their  own  entire 
silence  on  the  subject.  The  delightful  results  of  the  Gospel 
of  love  and  good-will  to  all  men,  were  strikingly  exhibited 
on  our  departure.  The  believers,  and  many  others  on  the 
station,  brought  little  presents  to  offer  to  the  strangers,  as 
well  as  some  for  their  master,  Moselekatse,  whose  name,  in 
their  natural  state,  they  would  have  pronounced  only  with 
anathemas.  Havins:  obtained  a  sufficient  number  of  volun- 
teers  to  accompany  me,  for  there  were  some  who  thought 
the  journey  would  be  a  disastrous  one,  we  left  the  Kuruman 
on  the  9th  of  November. 

The  two  ambassadors  were  received  at  old  Lithako  with 
great  kindness  by  the  people  of  Mahura,  who  at  that  period 
strongly  recommended  the  pacific  precepts  of  the  Gospel 
introduced  by  the  missionaries,  although  he  himself  has  not 
yet  shown  that  he  has  received  that  Gospel  into  his  heart, 
which  has  scattered  so  many  blessings  in  his  path.  Mahura's 
speech  had  a  good  effect  on  their  minds,  in  so  far  as  it  con' 


340  THE  JOURNEY.  ' 

vinced  them,  that  he  who  professed  so  high  a  regard  for  their 
guardian  would  do  them  no  harm.  Leaving  Lithako,  we 
travelled  in  our  empty  wagons  with  more  than  usual  speed, 
over  the  Barolong  plains,  in  many  parts  of  which  the  travel- 
ler, like  the  mariner  on  the  ocean,  sees  the  expanse  around 
him  hounded  only  by  the  horizon.  Clumps  of  mimosas 
occasionally  meet  the  eye,  while  the  grass,  like  fields  of  tall 
wheat,  waved  in  the  breeze  ;  amidst  which  various  kinds  of 
game  were  found,  and  the  king  of  the  forest  roved  at  large. 

Some  of  the  solitary  inhabitants,  who  subsisted  entirely 
on  roots  and  the  chase,  would  intercept  our  course,  and  beg 
a  little  tobacco,  and  sometimes  pass  the  night  where  we  en- 
camped. These  were,  indeed,  the  companions  of  the  lion, 
and  seemed  perfectly  versed  in  all  his  tactics.  As  we  were 
retiring  to  rest  one  night,  a  lion  passed  near  us,  occasionally 
giving  a  roar,  which  softly  died  away  on  the  extended  plain, 
as  it  was  responded  to  by  another  at  a  distance.  Directing 
the  attention  of  these  Balala  to  this  sound,  and  asking  if  they 
thought  there  was  danger,  they  turned  their  ears  as  to  a  voice 
with  which  they  were  familiar,  and,  after  listening  for  a  mo- 
ment ©r  two,  replied,  "  There  is  no  danger ;  he  has  eaten, 
and  is  going  to  sleep."  They  were  right,  and  we  slept  also. 
Asking  them  in  the  morning  how  they  knew  the  lions  were 
going  to  sleep,  they  replied,  "  We  live  with  them ;  they  are 
our  companions." 

At  Sitlagole  River,  about  160  miles  from  the  Kuruman, 
we  halted  in  the  afternoon,  and  allowed  our  oxen  to  graze 
on  a  rising  bank  opposite  our  wagons,  and  someM'hat  farther 
than  a  gun-shot  from  them.  Having  but  just  halted,  and 
not  having  loosened  a  gun,  we  were  taken  by  surprise  by  two 
lions  rushing  out  from  a  neighbouring  thicket.  The  oldest 
one,  of  enormous  size,  approached  within  ten  yards  of  the 
oxen,  and  bounding  on  one  of  my  best,  killed  him  in  a  mo- 
ment, by  sending  his  great  teeth  through  the  vertebrae  of 
the  neck.  The  younger  lion  couched  at  a  distance,  while 
the  elder  licked  his  prey,  turning  his  head  occasionally  to- 
wards the  other  oxen,  which  had  caught  his  scent  and 
scampered  off;  then,  with  his  fore-feet  upon  the  carcase,  he 
looked  and  roared  at  us,  who  were  all  in  a  scuffle  to  loosen 
our  guns,  and  attack  his  majesty.  Two  of  our  number, 
more  eager  to  frighten  than  to  kill,  discharged  their  muskets; 
and,  probably,  a  ball  whistling  pa.st  his  ear,  induced  him  to 
retire  to  the  thicket  whence  he  had  come,  leaving  us  in  quiet 
possession  of  the  meat  At  Meritsane,  the  bed  of  another 
dry  river,  we  had  a  serenade  of  desert  music,  composed  of 


ARRIVE   AT   THE    BAHURUTSI.  341 

the  treble,  counter,  and  bass  voices  of  jackals,  hyenas,  and 
lions. 

We  were  kindly  treated  by  the  Barolongs ;  and  on  the 
tenth  day  we  arrived  at  Mosega,  the  abode  of  Mokhatla,  re- 
gent over  the  fragments,  though  still  a  large  body,  of  the 
Bahurutsi.  These  had  congregated  in  a  glen,  and  subsisted 
on  game,  roots,  berries,  and  the  produce  of  their  corn-fields  J 
having  been  deprived  of  their  flocks  by  the  Mantatees. 
They  were  evidently  living  in  fear,  lest  Moselekatse  should 
one  day  make  them  captives.  From  these  people  I  received 
a  hearty  welcome,  though  I  was  known  to  few  of  them  ex- 
cept by  name. 

Having  fulfilled  my  engagement,  in  conveying  my  charge 
in  safety  to  the  Bahurutsi,  I,  in  a  solemn  and  formal  man- 
ner delivered  them  over  to  the  care  of  Mokhatla,  requesting 
him  either  to  go  himself,  or  send  a  strong  escort  to  accom- 
pany them  until  they  reached  the  outposts  of  the  Matabele. 
To  this  proposal  the  Tunas  were  strongly  opposed,  and  en- 
treated me  most  earnestly  to  accompany  them  to  their  own 
country ;  urging,  that  as  I  had  shown  them  so  much  kind- 
ness, I  must  go  and  experience  that  of  their  king,  who,  they 
declared,  would  kill  them  if  they  suffered  me  to  return  be- 
fore he  had  seen  me.  Mokhatla  came  trembling,  and  begged 
me  to  go,  as  he  and  his  people  would  flee  if  I  refused.  I 
pleaded  my  numerous  engagements  at  the  Kuruman  ;  but 
argument  was  vain.  At  last,  to  their  inexpressible  joy,  I 
consented  to  go  as  far  as  their  first  cattle  outposts.  Mok- 
hatla had  long  wished  to  see  the  fearful  Moselekatse,  who 
had  desolated  the  Bakone  country,  and  the  proximity  of 
whose  residence  gave  him  just  reason  to  tremble  for  the 
safety  of  his  people  ;  and  it  was  only  because  they  were  not 
the  rich  owners  of  herds  of  cattle,  that  they  had  not  already 
become  the  prey  of  this  African  Napoleon. 

During  three  days  of  heavy  rain,  which  detained  us,  Mok- 
hatla, whose  physiognomy  and  manoeuvres  evinced,  that, 
while  he  had  very  little  of  what  was  noble  about  him,  he 
was  jin  adept  at  intrigue,  and  exhibited  too  much  of  the  syc- 
ophant to  command  respect,  resolved  to  make  himself  one 
of  my  retinue.  The  country  through  which  we  had  to  travel 
was  quite  of  a  different  character  from  that  we  had  passed. 
It  was  mountainous,  and  wooded  to  the  summits.  Ever- 
greens adorned  the  valleys,  in  which  numerous  streams  of 
excellent  water  flowed  through  many  a  winding  course 
towards  the  Indian  Ocean.  During  the  first  and  second 
day's  journey  I  was  charmed  exceedingly,  and  was  often  re- 

29* 


342  COUNTRY   AND   GAME. 

minded  of  Scotia's  hills  and  dales.  As  it  was  a  rainy  sea- 
son, every  thing  was  fresh ;  the  clumps  of  trees  that  studded 
the  plains  being  covered  with  rich  and  living  verdure.  But 
these  rocks  and  vales,  and  picturesque  scenes,  were  often 
vocal  with  the  lion's  roar.  It  was  a  country  once  covered 
with  a  dense  population.  On  the  sides  of  the  hills  and  Ka- 
shan  mountains  were  towns  in  ruins,  M'here  thousands  once 
made  the  country  alive,  amidst  fruitful  vales  now  covered 
with  luxuriant  grass,  inhabited  by  game.  The  extirpating 
invasions  of  the  Mantatees  and  Matabele  had  left  to  beasts 
of  prey  the  undisputed  right  of  these  lovely  woodland  glens. 
The  lion,  which  had  revelled  in  human  flesh,  as  if  conscious 
that  there  was  none  to  oppose,  roamed  at  large,  a  terror  to 
the  traveller,  who  often  heard  with  dismay  his  nightly  roar- 
ing echoed  back  by  the  surrounding  hills.  We  were  merci- 
fully preserved  during  the  nights,  though  our  slumbers  were 
often  interrupted  by  his  fearful  bowlings.  We  had  frequently 
to  take  our  guns  and  precede  the  wagon,  as  the  oxen  some- 
times took  fright  at  the  sudden  rush  of  a  rhinoceros  or  buf- 
falo from  a  thicket.  More  than  one  instance  occurred  when, 
a  rhinoceros  being  aroused  from  his  slumbers  by  the  crack 
of  the  whips,  the  oxen  would  scamper  off  like  race-horses, 
when  destruction  of  gear,  and  some  part  of  the  wagon,  was 
the  result.  As  there  was  no  road,  we  were  frequently  under 
the  necessity  of  taking  very  circuitous  routs  to  find  a  passage 
through  deep  ravines ;  and  we  were  often  obliged  to  employ 
picks,  spades,  and  hatchets,  to  clear  our  way.  When  we 
bivouacked  for  the  night,  a  plain  was  generally  selected  that 
we  miofht  be  the  better  able  to  defend  ourselves ;  and  M'hen 
firewood  was  plentiful,  we  made  a  number  of  fires  at  a  dis- 
tance around  the  wagon.  Eut  when  it  rained,  our  situation 
was  pitiful  indeed  ;  and  we  only  wished  it  to  rain  so  hard 
that  the  lion  might  not  like  to  leave  his  lair. 

Having  travelled  one  hundred  miles,  five  days  after  leav- 
ing Mosega  we  came  to  the  first  cattle  outposts  of  the 
Matabele,  when  we  halted  by  a  fine  rivulet.  My  attention 
was  arrested  by  a  beautiful  and  gigantic  tree,  standing  in  a 
defile  leading  into  an  extensive  and  woody  ravine,  between 
a  high  range  of  mountains.  Seeing  some  individuals  em- 
ployed on  the  ground  under  its  shade,  and  the  conical  points 
of  what  looked  like  houses  in  miniature,  protruding  through 
its  evergreen  foliage,  I  proceeded  thither,  and  found  that  the 
tree  was  inhabited  by  several  families  of  Bakones,  the 
aborigines  of  the  country.  I  ascended  by  the  notched 
trunk,  and  found,  to  my  amazement,  no  less  than  seventeen 


THE    INHABITED    TREE.  343 

of  these  aerial  abodes,  and  three  others  unfinished.  On 
reaching  the  topmost  hut,  about  thirty  feet  from  the  ground, 
I  entered,  and  sat  down.  Its  only  furniture  was  the  hay 
which  covered  the  floor,  a  spear,  a  spoon,  and  a  bowl  full 
of  locusts.  Not  having  eaten  any  thing  that  day,  and  from 
the  novelty  of  my  situation,  not  wishing  to  return  imme- 
diately to  the  wagons,  I  asked  a  woman  who  sat  at  the 
door  with  a  babe  at  her  breast,  permission  to  eat.  This  she 
granted  with  pleasure,  and  soon  brought  me  more  in  a  pow- 
dered state.  Several  more  females  came  from  the  neigh- 
bouring roosts,  stepping  from  branch  to  branch,  to  see  the 
stranger,  who  was  to  them  as  great  a  curiosity  as  the  tree 
was  to  him.  I  then  visited  the  different  abodes,  which  were 
on  several  principal  branches.  The  structure  of  these 
houses  was  very  simple.  An  oblong  scaffold,  about  seven 
feet  wide,  is  formed  of  straight  sticks.  On  one  end  of  this 
fjatform  a  small  cone  is  formed,  also  of  straight  sticks,  and 
thatched  with  grass.  A  person  can  nearly  stand  upright  in 
it ;  the  diameter  of  the  floor  is  about  six  feet.  The  house 
stands  on  the  end  of  the  oblong,  so  as  to  leave  a  little  square 
space  before  the  door.  On  the  day  previous  I  had  passed 
several  villages,  some  containing  forty  houses,  all  built  on 
poles  about  seven  or  eight  feet  from  the  ground,  in  the  form 
of  a  circle  ;  the  ascent  and  descent  is  by  a  knotty  branch  of 
a  tree  placed  in  front  of  the  house.  In  the  centre  of  the 
circle  there  is  always  a  heap  of  the  bones  of  game  they  have 
killed.  Such  were  the  domiciles  of  the  impoverished  thou- 
sands of  the  aborigines  of  the  country,  who,  having  been 
scattered  and  peeled  by  Moselekatse,  had  neither  herd  nor 
stall,  but  subsisted  on  locusts,  roots,  and  the  chase.  They 
adopted  this  mode  of  architecture  to  escape  the  lions  w4iich. 
abounded  in  the  country.  During  the  day  the  families 
descended  to  the  shade  beneath  to  dress  their  daily  food. 
When  the  inhabitants  increased,  they  supported  the  aug- 
mented weight  on  the  branches,  by  upright  sticks,  but  when 
lightened  of  their  load,  they  removed  these  for  firewood. 

As  a  proof  of  the  necessity  of  such  an  expedient  as  above 
described,  I  may  add,  that  during  the  day,  having  shot  a 
rhinoceros,  we  had  reserved  the  hump  of  the  animal  to  roast 
during  the  night,  a  large  ant-hill  was  selected  for  the  purpose, 
and  being  prepared  by  excavation  and  fire,  this  tit-bit  was 
deposited.  During  the  night,  a  couple  of  lions  attracted  by 
the  roast,  drew  near,  and  though  it  was  beyond  gun-shot,  we 
could  hear  them  distinctly,  as  if  holding  council  to  wait  till 
the  fire  went  out,  to  obtain  for  themselves  our  anticipated 


344  AN   URGENT   APPEAL. 

breakfast.  As  the  fire  appeared  to  have  gone  out  altogether, 
we  had  given  up  hope  till  morning  light  showed  us  that  the 
lions  had  been  in  earnest,  but  the  heat  of  the  smouldering 
ant-hill  had  effectually  guarded  our  steak. 

After  my  return  to  the  wagons,  some  Matabele  warriors 
approached,  who,  on  seeing  'Umbate  and  his  companion,  and 
their  attendants,  bowed  at  a  distance,  until  he  beckoned  them 
to  draw  near,  when  they  addressed  the  Tunas  in  the  most 
servile  language,  which  proved  that  we  had  not  been  mista- 
ken in  regarding  them  as  men  of  distinction.  Having  thus 
arrived  at  the  out-posts  of  Moselekatee's  dominions,  I  again 
referred  to  my  engagement,  and  proposed  returning  home, 
having  now  brought  them  thus  far,  and,  according  to  the 
phraseology  of  the  country,  placed  them  among,  or  behind 
the  shields  of  their  nation.  The  two  chief  men  arose,  and 
after  looking  for  a  w^hile  on  the  ground  as  if  in  deep  thought, 
'Umbate,  laying  his  right  hand  on  my  shoulder,  and  the  left 
on  his  breast,  addressed  me  in  the  following  language  : 
"  Father,  you  have  been  our  guardian.  We  are  yours.  You 
love  us,  and  will  you  leave  us  ?"  and  pointing  to  the  blue 
mountains  on  the  distant  horizon,  "  Yonder,"  he  added, 
*'  dwells  the  great  Moselekatse,  and  how  shall  we  approach 
his  presence,  if  you  are  not  with  us  ?  If  you  love  us  still, 
save  us,  for  when  we  shall  have  told  our  news,  he  will  ask 
why  our  conduct  gave  you  pain  to  cause  your  return  ;  and  be- 
fore the  sun  descend  on  the  day  we  see  his  face,  we  shall  be 
ordered  out  for  execution,  because  you  are  not.  Look  at  me 
and  my  companion,  and  tell  us  if  you  can,  that  you  will  not 
go,  for  we  had  better  die  here  than  in  the  sight  of  our  peo- 
ple." I  reasoned,  but  they  were  silent ;  their  eyes,  however, 
spoke  a  language  I  could  not  resist.  "  Are  you  afraid  ?"  said 
one;  to  which  I  replied,  "  No,"  Then  said 'Umbate,  "  It 
remains  with  you  to  save  our  lives,  and  our  wives  and  chil- 
dren from  sorrow,"  I  now  found  myself  in  a  perplexing  po- 
sition, these  noble  suppliants  standing  before  me,  'Umbate, 
whose  intelligent  countenance  beamed  with  benevolence, 
while  his  masculine  companion,  another  Mars,  displayed  a 
sympathy  of  feeling  not  to  be  expected  in  the  man  of  war, 
who  could  count  his  many  tens  of  slain  warriors  which  had 
adorned  his  head  with  the  ring  or  badge  of  victory  and  ho- 
nour. My  own  attendants,  whom  I  had  the  day  before  been 
commending  for  their  intrepidity,  were  looking  on  the  trans- 
action as  if  the  destinies  of  an  empire  were  involved ;  and 
heard,  not  without  strong  emotion,  my  consent  to  accompany 
the  strangers  to  their  king. 


INDICATIONS   OF   FORMER    PROSPERITY.  345 

We  now  travelled  along  a  range  of  mountains  running 
near  E.S.E.,  while  the  country  to  the  north  and  east  became 
more  level,  but  beautifully  studded  with  ranges  of  little  hills, 
many  isolated,  of  a  conical  form,  along  the  bases  ot  which 
lay  the  ruins  of  innumerable  towns,  some  of  which  were  of 
amazing  extent.  The  soil  of  the  valleys  and  extended  plains 
was  of  the  richest  description.  The  torrents  from  the  adja- 
cent heights  had,  from  year  to  year,  carried  away  immense 
masses,  in  some  places  laying  bare  the  substratum  of  granite 
rocks,  exhibiting  a  mass  of  rich  soil  from  ten  to  twenty  feet 
deep,  where  it  was  evident  native  grain  had  formerly  waved  ; 
and  water-melons,  pumpkins,  kidney-beans,  and  sweet  reed 
had  once  flourished.  The  ruins  of  many  towns  showed  signs 
of  immense  labour  and  perseverance  ;  stone  fences,  averag- 
ing from  four  to  seven  feet  high,  raised  appare'ntly  without 
mortar,  hammer,  or  line.  Every  thing  was  circular,  from 
the  inner  walls  which  surrounded  each  dwelling  or  farnily 
residence,  to  those  which  encircled  a  town.  In  traversing 
these  ruins,  I  found  the  remains  of  some  houses  which  had 
escaped  the  flames  of  the  marauders.  These  were  large, 
and  displayed  a  far  superior  style  to  any  thing  I  had  witness- 
ed among  the  other  aboriginal  tribes  of  Southern  Africa. 
The  circular  walls  were  generally  composed  of  hard  clay,  with 
a  small  mixture  of  cow-dung,  so  well  plastered  and  polished, 
a  refined  portion  of  the  former  mixed  with  a  kind  of  ore,  that 
the  interior  of  the  house  had  the  appearance  of  being  var- 
nished. The  walls  and  door-ways  were  also  neatly  orna- 
mented with  a  kind  of  architraves  and  cornices.  The  pillars 
supporting  the  roof  in  the  form  of  pilasters,  projecting  from 
the  walls,  and  adorned  with  flutings  and  other  designs,  show- 
ed much  taste  in  the  architectresses.  This  taste,  however, 
was  exercised  on  fragile  materials,  for  there  was  nothing  in 
the  building  like  stone,  except  the  foundations.  The  houses, 
like  all  others  in  the  interior,  were  round,  with  conical  roofs, 
extending  beyond  the  walls,  so  as  to  afford  considerable 
shade,  or  what  might  be  called  a  verandah.  The  raising  of 
the  stone  fences  must  have  been  a  work  of  immense  labour, 
for  the  materials  had  all  to  be  brought  on  the  shoulders  of 
men,  and  the  quarries  where  these  materials  were  probably 
obtained,  were  at  a  considerable  distance.  The  neighbour- 
ing hills  also  gave  ample  demonstration  of  human  persever- 
ance, with  instruments  of  the  most  paltry  description. 

In  some  places  were  found  indigenous  fig-trees,  growing 
on  squares  of  stone  left  by  the  quarriers,  the  height  of  twelve 
feet,  and  held  together  by  the  intersecting  roots  of  the  tree. 


346  THE   RAVAGES   OF   WAR. 

On  some  of  these  we  found  ripe  figs,  but,  from  the  stony 
basis,  and  uncultivated  state,  they  were  much  inferior  to 
those  grown  in  the  gardens  of  the  colony.  Many  an  hour 
have  1  walked,  pensively,  among  these  scenes  of  desolation, 
— casting  my  thoughts  back  to  the  period  when  these  now 
ruined  habitations  teemed  with  life  and  revelry,  and  when 
the  hills  and  dales  resounded  to  the  bursts  of  heathen  joy. 
Nothing  now  remained  but  dilapidated  walls,  heaps  of 
stones,  and  rubbish,  mingled  with  human  skulls,  Mdiich,  to  a 
contemplative  mind,  told  their  ghastly  tale.  These  are  now 
the  abodes  of  reptiles  and  beasts  of  prey.  Occasionally  a 
large  stone-fold  might  be  seen  occupied  by  the  cattle  of  the 
Matebele,  who  had  caused  the  land  thus  to  mourn.  Having 
Matebele  with  ine,  I  found  it  extremely  difficult  to  elicit 
local  information  from  the  dejected  and  scattered  aborigines 
who  occasionally  came  in  our  way.  These  trembled  before 
the  nobles,  who  ruled  them  with  a  rod  of  iron.  It  was  soon 
evident  that  the  usurpers  were  anxious  to  keep  me  in  the 
dark  about  the  devastations  which  everywhere  met  our  eyes, 
and  they  always  endeavoured  to  be  present  when  I  came  in 
contact  with  the  aborigines  of  the  country,  but  as  I  could 
speak  the  language  some  opportunities  were  afforded.  One 
of  the  three  servants  who  accompanied  the  two  ambassa- 
dors to  the  Kuruman  was  a  captive  among  the  Mantatee.s, 
who  had  been  defeated  at  Old  Lithako.  He,  as  well  as  his 
fellow-servants,  felt  a  plea.sure  in  speaking  with  us  in  Sechu- 
ana,  their  native  language.  He,  and  many  hundreds  more 
of  that  people,  were,  on  their  return  from  the  defeat,  taken 
prisoners  by  Moselekatse.  This  individual,  though  an  ath- 
letic and  stern-looking  being,  was  also  a  shrewd  observer  of 
character,  and  possessed  a  noble  mind,  which  revolted  at  the 
tyranny  of  his  new  masters.  He  was  a  native  of  the  regions 
through  which  we  were  now  passing,  and  would  .sometimes 
whisper  to  me  events  connected  with  the  desolations  of  his 
father-land.  These  nations  he  described  as  being  once  nu- 
merous as  the  locusts,  rich  in  cattle,  and  traffickers,  to  a 
great  extent,  with  the  distant  tribes  of  the  north.  My  in- 
formant, with  his  fellow  Bakones,  had  witnessed  the  desola- 
tion of  many  of  the  towns  around  us — the  sweeping  away 
the  cattle  and  valuables — the  butchering  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  their  being  enveloped  in  smoke  and  flames.  Com- 
mandos of  Chaka,  the  once  bloody  monarch  of  the  Zoolus, 
had  made  frightful  havoc  ;  but  all  these  were  nothing  to  the 
final  overthrow  of  the  Bakone  tribes  by  the  arms  of  Mosele- 
katse.    The  former  inhabitants  of  these  luxuriant  hills,  and 


AN   INTERESTING   RECITAL.  347 

fertile  plains  had,  from  peace  and  plenty,  become  effemi- 
nate,— while  the  Matabele,  under  the  barbarous  reign  of  the 
monster  Chaka,  from  whose  iron  grasp  they  had  made  their 
escape,  like  an  overwhelming  torrent,  rushed  onward  to  the 
north,  marking  their  course  with  blood  and  carnage. 

On  a  Sabbath  morning  I  ascended  a  hill,  at  the  base  of 
which  we  had  halted  the  preceding  evening,  to  spend  the 
day.  I  had  scarcely  reached  the  summit,  and  sat  down, 
when  I  found  that  my  intelligent  companion  had  stolen 
away  from  the  party,  to  answer  some  questions  I  had  asked 
the  day  before,  and  to  which  he  could  not  reply,  because  of 
the  presence  of  his  superiors.  Happening  to  turn  to  the 
right,  and  seeing  before  me  a  large  extent  of  level  ground 
covered  with  ruins,  I  inquired  what  had  become  of  the  in- 
habitants. 

He  had  just  sat  down,  but  rose,  evidently  with  some  feel- 
ing, and,  stretching  forth  his  arm  in  the  direction  of  the  ruins, 
said,  "  I,  even  I,  beheld  it!"  and  paused,  as  if  in  deep  thought. 
"  There  lived  the  great  chief  of  multitudes.  He  reigned 
amonof  them  like  a  king.  He  was  the  chief  of  the  blue- 
coloured  cattle.  They  were  numerous  as  the  dense  mist  on 
the  mountain  brow ;  his  flocks  covered  the  plain.  He 
thought  the  number  of  his  warriors  would  awe  his  enemies. 
His  people  boasted  in  their  spears,  and  laughed  at  the  cow- 
ardice of  such  as  had  fled  from  their  towns.  '  I  shall  slay 
them,  and  hang  up  their  shields  on  my  hill.  Our  race  is  a 
race  of  warriors.  Who  ever  subdued  our  fathers  ?  they  were 
mighty  in  combat.  We  still  possess  the  spoils  of  ancient 
times.  Have  not  our  dogs  eaten  the  shields  of  their  nobles  ? 
The  vultures  shall  devour  the  .slain  of  our  enemies.'  Thus 
they  sang  and  thus  they  danced,  till  they  beheld  on  yonder 
heights  the  approaching  foe.  The  noise  of  their  song  was 
hushed  in  night,  and  their  hearts  were  filled  with  dismay. 
They  saw  the  clouds  ascend  from  the  plains.  It  was  the 
smoke  of  burning  towns.  The  confusion  of  a  whirlwind  was 
in  the  heart  of  the  great  chief  of  the  blue-coloured  cattle. 
This  shout  was  raised,  '  They  are  friends ;'  but  they  shouted 
again,  '  They  are  foes,'  till  their  near  approach  proclaimed 
them  naked  Matabele.  The  men  seized  their  arms,  and 
rushed  out,  as  if  to  chase  the  antelope.  The  onset  was  as 
the  voice  of  lightning,  and  their  spears  as  the  shaking  of  a 
forest  in  the  autumn  storm.  The  Matabele  lions  raised  the 
shout  of  death,  and  flew  upon  their  victims.  It  was  the 
shout  of  victory.  Their  hissing  and  hollow  groans  told  their 
progress  among  the  dead.     A  few  moments  laid  hundreds 


348  HEAVY   RAINS. 

on  the  ground.  The  clash  of  shields  was  the  signal  of 
triumph.  Our  people  fled  with  their  cattle  to  the  top  of  yon- 
der mount.  The  Matabele  entered  the  town  with  the  roar 
of  the  lion;  they  pillaged  and  fired  the  houses,  speared  the 
mothers,  and  cast  their  infants  to  the  flames.  The  sun  went 
down.  The  victors  emerged  from  the  smoking  plain,  and 
pursued  their  course,  surrounding  the  base  of  yonder  hill. 
They  slaughtered  cattle  ;  they  danced  and  sang  till  the  dawn 
of  day  ;  they  ascended,  and  killed  till  their  hands  were  weary 
of  the  spear,"  Stooping  to  the  ground  on  which  we  stood, 
he  took  up  a  little  dust  in  his  hand ;  blowing  it  off',  and  hold- 
ing out  his  naked  palm,  he  added,  "  That  is  all  that  remains 
of  the  great  chief  of  the  blue-coloured  cattle!"  It  is  impos- 
sible for  me  to  describe  my  feelings  while  listening  to  this 
descriptive  effusion  of  native  eloquence  j  and  I  afterwards 
embraced  opportunities  of  writing  it  down,  of  which  the  above 
is  only  an  abridgment,  I  found  also  from  other  aborigines 
that  his  was  no  fabled  song,  but  merely  a  compendious  sketch 
of  the  catastrophe. 

We  were  detained  several  days  at  this  place  by  dreadful 
storms  of  thunder,  which  appeared  to  make  the  very  moun- 
tains shake,  and  heavy  rains  which  caused  torrents  of  water 
to  fall  from  the  neighbouring  heights,  which  deluged  the 
plains.  The  luxuriance  of  every  thing  on  hill  and  dale  was 
great.  The  rich  black  soil  being  saturated  with  water,  be- 
came so  adhesive,  that  it  was  found  impossible  for  either 
men  or  oxen  to  proceed.  The  wheels  became  one  mass  of 
clay,  which  nothing  could  detach,  while  the  feet  of  the  oxen 
became  so  large  with  the  tenacious  soil,  that  it  was  out  of 
our  power  to  move  them  from  the  spot.  Though  we  could 
only  see  the  smoke  of  distant  villages,  we  had  frequent  visit- 
ors bringing  us  abundant  supplies  of  milk  and  grain,  borne 
on  the  heads  of  women  belonging  to  the  subjugated  Bechu- 
ana  tribes. 

The  dark  cloudy  weather  and  uncomfortable  accommoda- 
tions awoke  gloomy  forebodings  in  the  minds  of  my  people, 
some  of  whom  would  gladly  have  escaped,  but  the  distance 
from  home  was  too  great.  When  the  weather  allowed  us 
to  proceed,  two  days  more  brought  us  through  a  fertile  coun- 
try to  the  banks  of  the  Limpopo,  called  Uri,  higher  up, 
where  the  scaly  crocodile  may  be  seen  protruding  his  ugly 
snout  on  the  sedgy  bank  of  the  river. 

Passing  over  some  hills  to  the  right,  we  were  not  a  little 
surprised,  on  descending  into  the  next  glen,  to  find  a  large 
hunting  party  of  Berend  Berend  and  his  people,  with  a  num- 


MEET  A  HUNTING  PARTY.  349 

ber  of  wagons.  From  Berend  I  learned  that  Mr.  Archbell, 
Wesleyan  missionary,  had  come  along  with  him  to  look  out 
for  a  suitable  spot  for  a  station,  and  in  company  with  Mrs. 
A.  had  left  the  party  three  days  before  to  see  Moselekatse, 
and  that  the  Matebele  monarch  had  refused  to  receive  him 
till  our  arrival,  our  approach  having  been  long  announced  at 
the  capital.  A  special  messenger  having  arrived  to  conduct 
me  thither,  I  proceeded  by  a  circuitous  route  over  hill  and 
dale,  quite  difficult  enough  for  human  beings  to  traverse, 
much  more  so  for  oxen  with  wagons,  and  after  a  long  and 
harassing  day's  ride,  we  reached  the  Peban  river  to  halt  for 
the  sabbath,  the  greater  part  of  which  I  spent  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Archbell ;  a  treat  I  little  expected  when  I  left  home. 

On  Monday  we  were  joined  by  Mr.  A.  and  a  trader. 
From  my  Matabele  charge  I  learned,  that  Moselekatse  was 
not  altogether  satisfied  with  Berend's  intrusion  into  his  do- 
minions, and  had  therefore  refused  to  see  any  one  before  our 
arrival.  Mr.  A.,  who  had  been  kept  some  days  waiting,  and 
was  strongly  inclined  to  return,  was  prevailed  upon  to  ac- 
company us,  and  two  days  more  we  proceeded  eastward, 
over  a  hilly,  trackless,  and  woody  country,  receiving  every 
demonstration  of  the  pleasure  Moselekatse  anticipated  in 
welcoming  us  at  his  capital.  In  the  early  part  of  the  day 
we  came  within  sight  of  the  long-looked-for  spot  under  a 
range  of  hills.  One  of  the  Tunas  had  left  us  at  the  Limpo- 
po, to  appear  in  person  before  his  king,  and,  as  he  expressed 
it,  to  make  my  path  straight  to  the  abode  of  his  sovereign, 
'•  There,"  said  'Umbate,  pointing  to  the  town,  "there  dwells 
the  great  king  Pezoolu,*  the  Elephant,  the  Lion's  paw," 
following  up  these  titles  with  ascriptions  of  extravagant 
praise. 

As  the  wagons  had  to  make  a  circuit  to  arrive  at  a  ford 
through  the  river,  Entsabotluku,  Mr.  Archbell,  myself,  and 
two  of  our  attendants,  saddled  our  horses  to  go  the  direct 
road.  When  we  reached  the  river,  we  found  people  bath- 
ing, who,  seeing  horsemen,  scampered  off  in  the  greatest 
terror.  We  proceeded  directly  to  the  town,  and  on  riding 
into  the  centre  of  the  large  fold,  which  was  capable  of  hold- 
ing ten  thousand  head  of  cattle,  we  were  rather  taken  by 
surprise  to  find  it  lined  by  eight  hundred  warriors,  besides 
two  hundred  which  were  concealed  in  each  side  of  the 
entrance,  as  if  in  ambush.  We  were  beckoned  to  dismount, 
which  we  did,  holding  our  horses'  bridles  in  our  hands.  The 
warriors  at  the  gate  instantly  rushed  in  with  hideous  yells, 
*  Heaven,  one  of  his  titles. 
30 


350  SAVAGE   POMP. 

and  leaping  from  the  earth  with  a  kind  of  kilt  around  their 
bodies,  hanging  like  loose  tails,  and  their  large  shields, 
frightened  our  horses.  They  then  joined  the  circle,  falling 
into  rank  with  as  much  order  as  if  they  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  European  tactics.  Here  w'e  stood  surrounded  by 
warriors,  whose  kilts  were  of  ape  skins,  and  their  legs  and 
arms  adorned  with  the  hair  and  tails  of  oxen,  their  shields 
reaching  to  their  chins,  and  their  heads  adorned  with 
feathers. 

Although  in  the  centre  of  a  town  all  was  silent  as  the 
midnight  hour,  while  the  men  were  motionless  as  statues. 
Eyes  only  were  seen  to  move,  and  there  was  a  rich  display 
of  fine  white  teeth.  After  some  minutes  of  profound  silence, 
which  was  only  interrupted  by  the  breathing  of  our  horses, 
the  war  song  burst  forth.  There  was  harmony,  it  is  true, 
and  they  beat  time  with  their  feet,  producing  a  sound  like 
hollow  thunder,  but  some  parts  of  it  was  music  befitting  the 
nether  regions,  especially  when  they  imitated  the  groanings 
of  the  dying  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  the  yeUs  and  hissings 
of  the  conquerors.  Another  simultaneous  pause  ensued,  and 
still  we  wondered  what  was  intended,  till  out  marched  the 
monarch  from  behind  the  lines,  followed  by  a  number  of 
men  bearing  baskets  and  bowls  of  food.  He  came  up  to  us, 
and  having  been  instructed  in  our  mode  of  salutation,  gave 
each  a  clumsy  but  hearty  shake  of  the  hand.  He  then  po- 
litely turned  to  the  food,  which  was  placed  at  our  feet,  and 
invited  us  to  partake.  By  this  time  the  wagons  were  seen 
in  the  distance,  and  having  intimated  our  wish  to  be  directed 
to  a  place  where  we  might  encamp  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
town,  he  accompanied  us,  keeping  fast  hold  of  my  right  arm, 
though  not  in  the  most  graceful  manner,  yet  with  perfect  fa- 
miliarity. "  The  land  is  before  you ;  you  are  come  to  your  son. 
You  must  sleep  where  you  please."  When  the  "  moving 
houses,"  as  the  wagons  were  called,  drew  near,  he  took  a 
firmer  grasp  of  my  arm,  and  looked  on  them  with  unutter- 
able surprise ;  and  this  man,  the  terror  of  thousands,  drew 
back  with  I'ear,  as  one  in  doubt  as  to  whether  they  were  not 
living  creatures.  When  the  oxen  were  unyoked,  he  ap- 
proached the  wagon  with  the  utmost  caution,  still  holding 
me  by  one  hand,  and  placing  the  other  on  his  mouth,  indi- 
cating his  surprise.  He  looked  at  them  very  intently,  parti- 
cularly the  wheels,  and  when  told  of  how  many  pieces  of 
wood  each  wheel  was  composed,  his  wonder  was  increased. 
After  examining  all  very  closely,  one  mystery  yet  remained, 
how  the  large  band  of  iron  surrounding  the  felloes  of  the 


WARRIORS    DESCRIBED.  351 

wheel  came  to  be  in  one  piece  without  either  end  or  joint. 
'Umbate,  my  friend  and  i'elloM'^-traveller,  whose  visit  to  onr 
station  had  made  him  much  wiser  than  his  master,  took 
hold  of  my  right  hand,  and  related  what  he  had  seen.  "  My 
eyes,"  he  said,  "  saw  that  very  hand,"  pointing  to  mine,  "  cut 
these  bars  of  iron,  take  a  piece  off  one  end,  and  then  join 
them  as  you  now  see  them."  A  minute  inspection  ensued 
to  discover  the  welded  part.  "  Does  he  give  medicine  to  the 
iron?"  \vas  the  monarch's  inquiry.  "  No,"  said  'Umbate, 
"  nothing  is  used  but  fire,  a  hammer,  and  a  chisel."  Mosele- 
katse  then  returned  to  the  town,  where  the  warriors  were 
still  standing  as  he  left  them,  who  received  him  with  im- 
mense bursts  of  applause. 

Some  thousands  of  the  Matabele,  composing  several  regi- 
ments, are  distinguished  by  the  colour  of  their  shields,  as 
well  as  the  kind  and  profusion  of  feathers  which  generally 
adorn  their  heads,  having  also  a  long  feather  of  the  blue 
crane  rising  from  their  brows,  all  which  has  an  imposing 
eflect  at  their  onset.  Their  arms  consist  of  a  shield,  short 
spear,  and  club.  The  club,  often  made  of  the  horn  of  a 
rhinoceros  or  hard  wood,  they  throw  with  unerring  precision, 
so  as  even  to  .strike  dead  the  smaller  antelope.  The  spear 
is  not  intended  for  throwing,  but  for  close  combat,  and  such 
being  their  mode  of  warfare,  the  tribes  accustomed  to  throw 
their  light  javelins  to  a  distance,  are  overtaken  by  these 
organized  soldiers  and  mowed  down.  They  must  conquer 
or  die,  and  if  one  return  without  his  shield  or  spear,  at  the 
frown  of  his  sovereign  he  is  instantly  despatched  by  another. 
They  look  best  in  their  war  dress,  which  is  only  worn 
on  great  occasions,  and  without  which  they  are  like  the 
Kafir  tribes  in  a  state  of  nudity.  They  rarely  use  a 
war  axe,  which  distinguishes  the  Bechuana  warrior,  and 
which  he  only  uses  when  brought  into  embarrassed  cir- 
cumstances, when  his  spears  are  expended,  or  when  butch- 
ering the  vanquished  enemy.  Their  shields,  made  of  the 
thickest  part  of  the  ox  hide,  are  very  different  in  size  and 
shape.  That  of  the  Matabele  is  sufficiently  large  to  cover 
the  body,  while  the  other  is  light,  and  easily  manoeuvred  so 
as  to  throw  off  the  missiles  of  the  enemy.  That  of  a  Ba- 
suto  is  smaller  still,  and  seems  only  capable  of  defending  the 
left  hand,  which  grasps  the  spears,  and  a  rod  bearing  a 
plume  of  black  ostrich  feathers. 

Moselekatse  did  not  fail  to  supply  us  abundantly  with 
meat,  nulk,  and  a  weak  kind  of  beer,  made  from  the  native 


352  A    GRAND   BALL. 

grain.  He  appeared  anxious  to  please,  and  to  exhibit  him- 
self and  people  to  the  best  advantage.  In  accordance  with 
savage  notions  of  conferring  honour,  all  the  inhabitants  and 
warriors  of  the  neighbouring  towns  were  ordered  to  congre- 
gate at  head-quarters,  and  on  the  following  day  a  public  ball 
was  given  in  compliment  to  the  strangers.  A  smooth  plain 
adjoining  the  town  was  selected  for  the  purpose,  where 
Moselekatse  took  his  stand  in  the  centre  of  an  immense 
circle  of  his  soldiers,  numbers  of  women  being  present,  who 
with  their  shrill  voices  and  clapping  of  hands  took  part  in 
the  concert.  About  thirty  ladies  from  his  harem  with  long 
white  wands  marched  to  the  song  backward  and  forward  on 
the  outside  of  the  ranks,  their  well  lubricated  shining  bodies 
being  too  weighty  for  the  agile  movements  which  character- 
ized the  matrons  and  damsels  of  lower  rank.  They  sang  their 
war  songs,  and  one  composed  on  occasion  of  the  visit  of  the 
strangers,  gazing  on  and  adoring  with  trembling  fear  and 
admiration  the  potentate  in  the  centre,  who  stood  and  some- 
times regulated  the  motions  of  thousands  by  the  movement 
of  his  head,  or  the  raising  or  depression  of  his  hand.  He 
then  sat  down  on  his  shield  of  lion's  skin,  and  asked  me  if  it 
was  not  fine,  and  if  we  had  such  things  in  my  country.  I 
could  not  gratify  his  vanity  by  saying  I  did  admire  that 
which  excited  the  most  thrilling  sensations  in  his  martial 
bosom,  and  as  to  there  being  balls,  public  balls,  in  honour 
of  the  great  and  renowned,  I  did  not  choose  to  acknowledge. 
This  public  entertainment  or  display  of  national  glory  oc- 
cupied the  greater  part  of  the  day,  when  the  chief  retired 
swollen  with  pride,  amidst  the  deafening  shouts  of  adoring 
applause,  not  only  of  the  populace,  but  of  his  satraps,  who 
followed  at  a  distance  to  do  him  homage  at  his  own  abode. 
Whenever  he  arose  or  sat  down,  all  within  sight  hailed  him 
with  a  shout,  Baaite  !  or  Aaite  !  followed  by  a  number  of  his 
high  sounding  titles,  such  as  Great  King,  Kng  of  heaven, 
the  Elephant,  etc. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

As  Mr.  Archbell  found  it  necessary  to  make  a  very  short 
stay,  and  having  myself  left  home  without  any  intention  of 
travelling  half  so  far,  I  informed  his  savage  majesty  that  my 
visit  must  also  be  short,  as  m.y  family  and  iriends  at  the  Ku- 
ruman  would  suppose  that  evil  had  befallen  me  on  a  road 
where  there  was  little  other  company  than  beasts  of  prey. 
This  was  all  very  reasonable,  but  he  contrived  with  no  little 
artifice  and  persuasion,  to  detain  me  ten  days.  During  this 
period,  I  had  frequent  interviews  with  him,  but  I  was  not 
favourably  situated  for  obtaining  a  knowledge  of  his  real 
character,  for  not  a  soul  in  his  dominions  dared  breathe  a 
syllable  that  w^as  not  calculated  to  set  him  forth  as  the 
best  and  noblest  of  beings,  immaculate  in  his  actions,  the 
very  perfection  of  all  that  was  lovely,  just,  and  good,  pos- 
sessing a  power  which  could  hurl  the  mountains  from  their 
foundations ;  and  finally,  that  his  smile  was  life,  while  his 
frown  scattered  horror  and  death.  However,  I  learned  some- 
thing of  his  disposition  from  the  attendants  of  the  chiefs  who 
had  visited  the  Kuruman,  and  who  were  permitted  to  remain 
at  my  wagons,  with  additions  to  their  number,  to  serve  or 
carry  messages,  but  in  reality  to  watch  our  movements,  and 
take  cognizance  of  all  intercourse  between  myself  and  the 
natives.  They  were  nevertheless  very  obedient  to  my  sug- 
gestions, for  when  I  wanted  quietness,  I  had  only  to  hold  up 
my  finger  to  signify  who  I  wished  should  go,  or  who  remain. 
Common  people  were  not  allowed  to  approach  without  spe- 
cial permission,  and  I  was  frequently  obliged  to  prevent  my 
body-guard  discharging  sticks,  stones,  or  any  thing  else  at 
any  one  who  should  dare  approach  within  certain  limits.  It 
was  with  no  little  difficulty  I  prevented  broken  heads  and 
broken  bones,  for  they  appeared  to  perform  their  tyrannical 
functions  with  real  zest. 

During  one  of  my  first  interviews  with  Moselekatse,  the  fol- 
lowing incident  took  place,  which  shows  that,  however  de- 
graded and  cruel  man  may  become,  he  is  capable  of  being  sub- 
dued by  kindness.  He  drew  near  to  the  spot  where  I  stood,  with 
some  attendants  bearing  dishes  of  food  ;  the  two  chiefs  who 

30* 


354  A    SATURDAY    EVE. 

had  been  at  the  Kuruman  were  with  me,  hut  on  the  ap- 
proach of  their  sovereign,  they  bowed  and  withdrew,  shout- 
ing, as  usual,  "  Baaite  'nkhosi  enkolu,"  but  were  instantly 
desired  to  return.  Moselekatse,  placing  his  left  hand  on  my 
shoulder,  and  his  right  on  his  breast,  addressed  me  in  the 
following  language  ;  "  Machobane,*  I  call  you  such  because 
you  have  been  my  father.  You  have  made  my  heart  as 
white  as  milk  ;  milk  is  not  white  to-day,  my  heart  is  white. 
I  cease  not  to  wonder  at  the  love  of  a  stranger.  You  never 
saw  me  before,  but  you  love  me  more  than  my  own  people. 
You  fed  me  when  I  was  hungry ;  you  clothed  me  when  I 
was  naked  ;  you  carried  me  in  your  bosom  ;"  and,  raising  my 
right  arm  with  his,  added,  "  that  arm  shielded  me  from  my 
enemies."  On  my  replying,  I  was  unconscious  of  having 
done  him  any  such  services,  he  instantly  pointed  to  the  two 
ambassadors  who  were  sitting  at  my  feet,  saying,  "  These 
are  great  men;  'Umbate  is  my  right  hand.  When  I  sent 
them  from  my  presence  to  see  the  land  of  the  white  men,  I 
sent  my  ears,  my  eyes,  my  mouth;  what  they  heard,  I  heard, 
what  they  saw  I  saw,  and  what  they  said,  it  M'as  Mosele- 
katse who  said  it.  You  fed  them  and  clothed  them,  and 
when  they  were  to  be  slain,  you  were  their  shield.  You  did 
it  unto  me.  You  did  it  unto  Moselekatse,  the  son  of  Ma- 
chobane." These  expressions  received  additional  colourings 
from  his  retinue,  who  added  fresh  fuel  to  the  flame  of  pride 
which  ever  burned  in  his  heart,  by  assuring  him  that  it  was 
the  renown  of  his  mighty  name  which  had  commanded  the 
homage  of  distant  nations.  The  testimony  of  his  gratitude 
was  duly  appreciated  and  acknowledged,  and  the  assurance 
given  that  it  was  in  my  power  to  tell  him  news.  This  was 
the  news  of  the  love  of  God,  to  which  he  listened  at  first 
with  apparent  attention,  but  his  countenance  soon  betrayed 
a  truant  mind,  while  his  eyes  looked  with  delight  on  the 
droves  of  sleek  cattle  approaching  the  town,  and  which  pos- 
sessed charms  infinitely  more  captivating  than  the  topics  of 
our  conversation. 

Thus  ended  the  Saturday  eve,  when  his  majesty,  indica- 
ting by  a  polite  bow,  that  he  had  heard  enough  for  the  pre- 
sent, rose  amidst  the  shouts  of  his  attendants,  and  retired  to 
society  and  conversation  more  congenial  with  his  savage 
mind.  'Umbate  and  two  of  his  relations,  whom  he  wished 
to  introduce  to  my  notice,  remained  behind  till  a  late  hour. 
One  of  these  appeared  to  be  a  man  of  superior  intellect,  and 
put  rather  striking  questions  on  the  subjects  which  I  had 
*  The  name  of  his  father. 


A   CRIMINAL   TRIED.  355 

brought  before  the  attention  of  the  great  man.  The  stillness 
of  a  serene  night,  far  from  the  dance  and  war-song,  which 
echoed  from  the  neighbouring  hills,  inspired  confidence  in 
these  chieftains,  who  spoke  in  whispers,  as  if  afraid  that  their 
king  should  hear  their  liberty  of  speech.  'Umbate  repeated 
to  his  friend  much  that  he  had  heard  from  me  on  the  road 
about  divine  things.  Though  extremely  cautious  in  their 
remarks,  it  was  evident  that  they  were  not  insensible  of  the 
rigours  of  the  despotism  under  M^hich  they  lived.  I  had  been 
struck  with  the  fine,  open  countenances  of  many  of  the  war- 
riors, who  though  living  amid  the  bewildering  mazes  of  igno- 
rance and  superstition,  debased,  dejected,  and  oppressed 
under  the  iron  sceptre  of  a  monarch  addicted  to  shedding 
blood,  pos.sessed  noble  minds  ;  but,  alas  !  whose  only  source 
of  joy  was  to  conquer  or  die  in  the  ranks  of  their  sovereign. 
The  following  morning  was  marked  by  a  melancholy  display 
of  that  so-called  heroism  which  prefers  death  to  dishonour. 
A  feast  had  been  proclaimed,  cattle  had  been  slaughtered, 
and  many  hearts  beat  high  in  anticipation  of  wallowing  in 
all  the  excesses  of  savage  delight;  eating,  drinking,  dancing, 
and  singing  the  victors'  song  over  the  slain,  whose  bones  lay 
bleached  on  the  neighbouring  plains.  Every  heart  appeared 
elate  but  one.  He  was  a  man  of  rank,  and  what  was  called 
an  Entuna,  (an  officer,)  who  wore  on  his  head  the  usual 
badge  of  dignity.  He  was  brought  to  head-quarters.  His 
arm  bore  no  shield,  nor  his  hand  a  spear ;  he  had  been  di- 
vested of  these,  which  had  been  his  glory.  He  was  brought 
into  the  presence  of  the  king,  and  his  chief  council,  charged 
with  a  cnme,  for  which  it  was  in  vain  to  expect  pardon,  even 
at  the  hands  of  a  more  humane  government.  He  bowed  his 
fine  elastic  figure,  and  kneeled  before  the  judge.  The  caf^e 
was  investigated  silently,  which  gave  solemnity  to  the  scene. 
Not  a  whisper  was  heard  among  the  listening  audience,  and 
the  voices  of  the  council  were  only  audible  to  each  other, 
and  the  nearest  spectators.  The  prisoner,  though  on  his 
knees,  had  something  dignified  and  noble  in  his  mien.  Not 
a  muscle  of  his  countenance  moved,  but  his  bright  black 
eyes  indicated  a  feeling  of  intense  interest,  which  the  moving 
balance  between  life  and  death  only  could  produce.  Tlie 
case  required  little  investigation;  the  charges  were  clearly 
substantiated,  and  the  culprit  pleaded  guilty.  But,  alas !  he 
knew  it  was  at  a  bar  where  none  ever  heard  the  heart-revi- 
ving sound  of  pardon,  even  for  offences  small  compared  with 
his.  A  pause  ensued,  during  which  the  silence  of  death 
pervaded  the  assembly.     At  length  the  monarch  spoke,  and, 


356  SAVAGE   HEROISM. 

addressing  the  prisoner,  said,  "  You  are  a  dead  man,  but  I 
shall  do  to-day  what  I  never  did  before  ;  I  spare  your  life  for 
the  sake  of  my  friend  and  father" — pointing  to  the  spot 
where  I  stood.  "  I  know  his  heart  weeps  at  the  shedding 
of  blood,  for  his  sake  I  spare  your  life  ;  he  has  travelled  from 
a  far  country  to  see  me,  and  he  has  made  my  heart  white  ; 
but  he  tells  me  that  to  take  away  life,  is  an  awful  thing,  and 
never  can  be  undone  again.  He  has  pleaded  with  me  not 
to  go  to  war,  nor  destroy  life.  I  wish  him,  when  he  returns 
to  his  own  home  again,  to  return  with  a  heart  as  white  as 
he  has  made  mine.  I  spare  you  for  his  sake,  for  I  love  him, 
and  he  has  saved  the  lives  of  my  people.  But,"  continued 
the  king,  "  you  nmst  be  degraded  for  life  ;  you  must  no  more 
associate  with  the  nobles  of  the  land,  nor  enter  the  towns  of 
the  princes  of  the  people  ;  nor  ever  again  mingle  in  the  dance 
of  the  mighty.  Go  to  the  poor  of  the  field,  and  let  your 
companions  be  the  inhabitants  of  the  desert." 

The  sentence  passed,  the  pardoned  man  was  expected  to 
bow  in  grateful  adoration  to  him  whom  he  was  wont  to  look 
upon,  and  exalt  in  songs  applicable  only  to  One,  to  whom 
belongs  universal  sway  and  the  destinies  of  man.  But,  no ! 
holding  his  hands  clasped  on  his  bosom,  he  replied,  "  O  king, 
afflict  not  my  heart !  I  have  merited  thy  displeasure  ;  let  me 
be  slain  like  the  warrior;  I  cannot  live  with  the  poor."  And, 
raising  his  hand  to  the  ring  he  wore  on  his  brow,  he  con- 
tinued ;  "  How  can  I  live  among  the  dogs  of  the  king,  and 
disgrace  these  badges  of  honour  which  I  won  among  the 
spears  and  shields  of  the  mighty  ?  No,  I  cannot  live  !  Let 
me  die,  O  Pezoolu  !"  His  request  was  granted,  and  his 
hands  tied  erect  over  his  head.  Now,  my  exertions  to  save 
his  life  were  vain.  He  disdained  the  boon  on  the  conditions 
offered,  preferring  to  die  with  the  honours  he  had  won  at  the 
point  of  the  spear — honours  which  even  the  act  that  con- 
demned him  did  not  tarnish — to  exile  and  poverty,  among 
the  children  of  the  desert.  He  was  led  forth,  a  man  walk- 
ing on  each  side.  My  eye  followed  him  till  he  reached  the 
top  of  a  precipice,  over  which  he  was  precipitated  into  the 
deep  pool  of  the  river  beneath,  where  the  crocodiles,  accus- 
tomed to  such  meals,  were  yawning  to  devour  him  ere  he 
could  reach  the  bottom!  This  was  a  Sabbath  morning 
scene,  such  as  heathenism  exhibits  to  the  view  of  the 
Christian  philanthropist ;  and  such  as  is  calculated  to  excite 
in  his  bosom  feelings  of  the  deepest  sympathy.  This  ma^g- 
nanimous  heathen  knew  of  no  hereafter.  He  was  without 
God  and  without  hope.     But,  however  deplorable  the  state 


moselekatse's  tyranny.  357 

of  sucli  a  person  may  be,  he  will  not  be  condemned  as  equally- 
guilty  with  those  who,  in  the  midst  of  life  and  knowledge, 
self-separated  from  the  body,  recklessly  rush  into  the  pre- 
sence of  their  Maker  and  their  Judge.  We  have  often  read 
of  the  patriotism  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  heard 
that  magnanimity  of  soul  extolled,  which  could  sacrifice  ho- 
nour, property,  and  life  itself,  for  the  public  good,  rather  than 
become  the  vassals  of  a  foe,  and  live  divested  of  the  poor 
trappings  of  human  glory  ;  if  this  be  virtue,  there  are,  even 
amonof  Afric's  sons,  men  not  inferior  to  the  most  illustrious 
of  the  Romans.  The  very  monarch  who  was  thus  influenced 
by  the  presence  of  the  Christian  missionary,  needed  only 
to  ask  his  warriors,  "  Who  among  you  will  become  a  sacri- 
fice for  the  safety  of  the  state,  and  the  country's  good?" 
and  his  choicest  men  would  have  run  upon  the  thick  bosses 
of  the  enemy's  buckler. 

Moselekatse's  conduct  in  this  affair  produced  a  strange 
impression  among  his  people,  some  of  whom  regarded  me 
as  an  extraordinary  being,  who  could  thus  influence  one 
more  terrible  to  them  than  the  fiercest  lion  of  the  forest. 
His  government,  so  far  as  I  could  discover,  was  the  very 
essence  of  despotism. 

The  persons  of  the  people,  as  well  as  their  possessions, 
were  the  property  of  their  monarch.  His  word  was  law, 
and  he  had  only  to  lift  his  finger  or  give  a  frown,  and  his 
greatest  nobles  trembled  in  his  presence.  No  one  appeared 
to  have  a  judgment  of  his  own  ;  none  dared  negative  an 
opinion  breathed  by  his  sovereign.  When  any  were  per- 
mitted to  approach  his  person,  they  crouched  soitly,  mutter- 
ing his  great  names.  Messengers  from  the  distant  out-sta- 
tions of  his  dominions  were  constantly  arriving.  These  laid 
down  their  shields  and  spears  at  a  distance,  approached,  and 
then  kneeled  about  thirty  yards  from  his  royal  person  ;  and 
when  it  was  his  pleasure  to  receive  the  communication,  it 
was  conveyed  by  one  of  his  chiefs  in  waiting.  Some  of  these 
brought  the  news  of  the  attack  of  lions  on  some  parts  of  his 
distant  herds,  but  no  one  presumed  to  be  the  reporter  with- 
out bringing  the  head  and  paws  of  the  animal  which  had 
dared  to  assail  the  possessions  of  its  mighty  namesake. 

Although  his  tyranny  was  such,  that  one  would  have  sup- 
posed his  subjects  would  execrate  his  name,  they  were  the 
most  servile  devotees  of  their  master.  Wherever  he  was 
seated,  or  wherever  he  slept,  a  number  of  sycophants,  fan- 
tastically dressed,  attended  him,  whose  business  was  to 
march,  jump,  and  dance  about,  sometimes  adoring  his  per- 


358  PARASITES. 

son,  then  manoBUvring  with  a  stick,  and  vociferating  the 
mighty  deeds  of  valour  performed  by  himself  and  Macho- 
hane.  The  same  things  are  repeated  again  and  again,  often 
with  a  rapidity  of  articulation  which  baffles  the  understanding 
of  their  own  countrymen.  After  listening  many  times,  I  was 
able,  with  the  assistance  of  one  of  these  parasites,  to  pick 
up  the  following  expressions : — "  O  Pezoolu,  the  king  of 
kings,  king  of  the  heavens,  who  would  not  fear  before  the 
son  of  Machobane,  mighty  in  battle  !  Where  are  the  mighty 
before  the  presence  of  our  great  king  ?  Where  is  the 
strength  of  the  forest  before  the  great  Elephant?  The  pro- 
boscis is  breaking  the  branches  of  the  forest !  It  is  the 
sound  of  the  shields  of  the  son  of  Machobane.  He  breathes 
upon  their  faces  ;  it  is  the  fire  among  the  dry  grass !  His 
enemies  are  consumed  before  him,  king  of  kings  !  Father 
of  fire,  he  ascends  to  the  blue  heavens  ;  he  sends  his  light- 
nings into  the  clouds,  and  makes  the  rain  to  descend  !  Ye 
mountains,  woods,  and  grassy  plains,  hearken  to  the  voice 
of  the  son  of  Machobane,  king  of  heaven  !"  This  is  a  spe- 
cimen of  the  sounding  titles  which  incessantly  meet  the  ear 
of  this  proud  mortal,  and  are  sufficient  to  make  the  haughty 
monarch  believe  that  he  is  what  the  terror  of  the  name  of 
Dingaan  convinced  him  he  was  not ;  for,  notwithstanding  all 
his  vain  boasts  he  could  not  conceal  his  fears  of  the  succes- 
sor of  the  bloody  Chaka,  against  whose  iron  sway  he  had 
rebelled. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  notice  here,  very  briefly,  the  origin 
of  this  great  man.  When  a  youth  his  father  w^as  the  chief 
of  an  independent  tribe.  His  people  were  attacked  by  one 
more  powerful,  and  routed.  He  took  refuge  under  the  scep- 
tre of  Chaka,  who  was  then  rendering  his  name  terrible  by 
deeds  of  crime.  Moselekatse,  from  his  intrepid  character, 
was  placed  at  the  head  of  a  marauding  expedition,  which 
made  dreadful  havoc  among  the  northern  tribes  ]  but,  instead 
of  giving  up  the  whole  of  the  spoils,  he  made  a  reserve  for 
himself  This  reaching  the  ears  of  Chaka,  revenge  instantly 
burned  in  the  tyrant's  bosom,  who  resolved  to  annihilate  so 
daring  an  aggressor. 

Moselekatse  was  half  prepared  to  take  flight,  and  descend 
on  the  thickly-peopled  regions  of  the  north,  like  a  sweeping 
pestilence.  He  escaped,  after  a  desperate  conflict  with  the 
warriors  of  Chaka,  who  killed  nearly  all  the  old  men,  and 
many  of  the  women.  His  destructive  career  among  the  Ba- 
kone  tribes  has  been  noticed  ;  but  dire  as  that  was,  it  must 
have  been  only  a  faint  transcript  of  the  terror,  desolation, 


moselekatse's  character.  359 

and  death,  which  extended  to  the  utmost  limits  of  Chaka's 
arms.  Though  but  a  IbUower  in  the  footsteps  of  Chaka,  the 
career  of  Moselekatse,  from  the  period  of  his  revolt  till  the 
time  I  saw  him,  and  long  after,  formed  an  interminable  cat- 
alogue of  crimes.  Scarcely  a  mountain,  over  extensive  re- 
gions, but  bore  the  marks  of  his  deadly  ire.  His  experience 
and  native  cunning  enabled  him  to  triumph  over  the  minds 
of  his  men,  and  made  his  trembling  captives  soon  adore  him 
as  an  invincible  sovereign.  Those  who  resisted,  and  would 
not  stoop  to  be  his  dogs,  he  butchered.  He  trained  the  cap- 
tured youth  in  his  own  tactics,  so  that  the  majority  of  his 
army  were  foreigners  ;  but  his  chiefs  and  nobles  gloried  in 
their  descent  from  the  Zoolu  dynasty.  Fie  had  carried  his 
arms  far  into  the  trojDics,  where,  however,  he  had  more  than 
once  met  with  his  equal ;  and  on  one  occasion,  of  six  hun- 
dred warriors,  only  a  handful  returned  to  be  sacrificed,  merely 
because  they  had  not  conquered,  or  fallen  with  their  compan- 
ions. Abject  representatives  came,  while  I  was  with  him, 
from  the  subjugated  tribes  of  the  Bamanguato,  to  solicit  the 
aid  against  a  more  distant  tribe,  which  had  taken  their  cat- 
tle. By  means  like  these,  it  may  be  said,  "  He  dipped  his 
sword  in  blood,  and  wrote  his  name  on  lands  and  cities  deso- 
late." In  his  person  he  was  below  the  middle  stature,  rather 
corpulent,  with  a  short  neck,  and  in  his  manner  could  be  ex- 
ceedingly affable  and  cheerful.  His  voice,  soft  and  effemi- 
nate, did  not  indicate  that  his  disposition  was  passionate  ; 
and,  happily  for  his  people,  it  was  not  so,  or  many  would  have 
been  butchered  in  the  ebullitions  of  his  anger. 

The  above  is  but  a  faint  description  of  this  Napoleon  of 
the  desert, — a  man  with  whom  I  often  conversed,  and  who 
was  not  wanting  in  con.sideration  and  kindness,  as  well  as 
gratitude.  But  to  sympathy  and  compassion  his  heart  ap- 
peared a  stranger.  The  following  incident,  for  a  day  or  two, 
threw  a  mystery  over  my  character  which  he  could  not  un- 
derstand, though  it  was  only  an  illustration  of  the  principles 
I  laboured  to  implant  in  his  heart,  apparently  impervious  to 
any  tender  emotion  which  had  not  self  for  its  object. 

It  has  been  before  stated  that  I  was  accompanied  to  Mose- 
lekatse by  Mokatla,  chief  of  the  Bahurutsi.  Dreading  being 
driven  with  his  subjects  from  his  own  native  home,  and  pic- 
turesque wilds,  and  the  tombs  of  his  forefathers,  and  perhaps 
extirpated,  as  other  tribes  had  been — whose  bones  lay  with- 
ering in  the  blast,  on  the  plains  and  vales  which  lay  in  our 
course, — he  placed  himself  and  attendants  under  my  protec- 
tion, though  I  was  myself  a  stranger,  and  had  not  seen  the 


360  BEREAVED   FATHER. 

object  of  his  terror,  and  that  of  the  tribes  around.  He  hoped 
that  as  the  missionary  character  had  recommended  itself  to 
him,  also  a  savage,  he  might  go  and  return  unscathed,  and 
obtain  the  friendship  of  one  who,  as  he  some  times  expressed 
it,  "  prevented  his  peaceful  slumbers."  His  attendants  were 
respectable,  all  anticipating  feasting  and  favour  from  one 
who  wallowed  in  the  spoils  of  war.  There  was  one  excep- 
tion. This  was  a  poor  man,  whose  appearance,  dress,  and 
manner,  informed  me  that  he  was  truly  the  child  of  poverty, 
and  perhaps  of  sorrow.  This  led  me  to  take  more  notice  of 
him  than  any  other  of  the  chief's  attendants.  I  felt  sympa- 
thy for  the  man,  supposing  he  had  been  compelled  to  follow 
the  train  of  his  chief,  and  leave  behind  him  a  family  ill-sup- 
plied, or  some  beloved  member  sick.  No  ;  his  downcast 
looks  arose  from  other  causes.  He  had  had  two  sons,  about 
the  ages  of  eight  and  ten.  These  had  been  absent  in  a 
neighbouring  glen,  when  a  party  of  Matabele  warriors  seized 
the  boys,  and  carried  them  as  spoils  to  head-quarters.  He 
and  his  partner  in  affliction  had  for  more  than  a  year  mourn- 
ed the  loss  of  their  children,  and,  by  taking  a  few  trinkets 
and  beads,  his  little  stock  of  ornaments,  the  father  hoped  to 
obtain  their  release.  After  a  journey  of  deep  interest  and  a 
flattering  reception,  and  days  passed  in  festivities  and  dis- 
plays of  kindness  to  the  strangers,  the  man  sent  in  his  hum- 
ble petition  by  one  who  could  approach  the  presence  of  the 
king,  offering  the  little  he  had  to  redeem  his  two  boys. 

Some  time  afterwards  the  proprietor  of  his  sons  came  and 
seated  himself  before  my  wagon,  as  I  drew  near  to  witness 
the  transaction.  The  poor  man  spread  his  ragged  mantle 
on  the  ground,  and  laid  on  it  a  few  strings  of  beads  and 
some  native-made  ornaments,  valuable  to  him,  but  on  which 
the  haughty  noble  would  scarcely  deign  to  cast  his  eye. 
The  father  sighed  to  see  his  look  of  scorn.  He  then  drew 
from  his  tattered  skins,  which  he  had  brought  with  him,  and 
on  which  he  reposed  at  night,  a  small  dirty  bag,  containing 
a  few  more  strings  of  half-worn  beads,  and  placed  them 
beside  the  former:  these  were  borrowed.  The  scornful  look 
was  again  repeated.  He  then  took  from  his  arms  two  old 
copper  rings,  and  rings  of  the  same  material  from  his  ears. 
The  chief  answered  the  anxious  eyes  of  the  now  desponding 
father  with  a  frown,  and  an  indignant  shake  of  the  head. 
He  then  took  from  his  neck  the  only  remaining  link  of  beads 
which  he  possessed,  and  which  it  was  evident  he  had  worn 
many  a  year.  This,  with  an  old,  half  worn  knife,  he  added 
to  the  offered  ransom.     It  was  his  all ;  and  it  is  impossible 


PATERNAL    AFFECTION.  361 

ever  to  forget  the  expression  of  those  eyes,  which,  though 
from  national  habit  would  not  shed  the  tear  of  sorrow,  were 
the  index  of  the  deepest  anxiety  as  to  the  result.  Neither 
the  man  or  his  ornaments  excited  the  smallest  emotion  in 
the  bosom  of  the  haughty  chief,  who  talked  with  those 
around  him  about  general  affairs,  maintaining  the  most  per- 
fect indifference  to  the  object  of  paternal  agony  before  his 
eyes.  He  at  last  arose  ;  and  being  solicited  by  one  who  felt 
something  of  a  father's  love,  to  pity  the  old  man,  who  had 
walked  nearly  two  hundred  miles,  and  brought  his  little  all 
to  purchase  his  own  children,  he  replied,  with  a  sneer,  that 
one  had  died  of  cold  the  preceeding  winter,  and  what  the 
father  offered  for  the  other  was  not  worth  looking  at ;  adding 
"  I  want  oxen."  "  I  have  not  even  a  goat,"  replied  the 
father.  A  sigh — it  was  a  heavy  sigh — burst  from  his  bosom  : 
— one  dead,  and  not  permitted  even  to  see  the  other  with 
his  eyes.  The  chief  walked  off,  while  the  man  sat  leaning 
his  head  on  the  palm  of  his  right  hand,  and  his  eyes  fixed 
on  the  ground,  apparently  lost  to  every  thing  but  his  now 
only  son,  now  doubly  dear  from  the  loss  of  his  brother,  and 
he,  alas  !  far  beyond  his  power  to  rescue.  On  taking  up  his 
mantle  to  retire,  he  and  his  party  being  obliged  to  leave 
early  to  return  to  the  place  whence  they  came,  he  was  told 
to  be  of  good  cheer,  and  an  effort  would  be  made  to  get  his 
son.  He  started  at  the  sound,  threw  his  mantle  at  my  {eet, 
and  spreading  out  his  hands  to  what  he  had  offered,  said, 
"  Take  these,  my  father,  and  pity  me."  "  Retain  them  for 
yourself,"  was  the  reply.  He  kissed  the  hand  of  his  pledged 
benefactor,  and  departed,  saying,  Ki  tla  na  le  boroko.  "  I 
shall  have  slumber,"  (peace  of  mind  ) 

In  the  course  of  the  following  day,  a  favourable  moment 
was  sought  to  bring  the  case  before  the  king.  He  instantly 
ordered  his  brother,  the  individual  who  possessed  the  boy,  to 
wait  upon  me,  which  he  promptly  did ;  and  on  receiving 
several  pounds  of  a  valuable  kind  of  bead,  he  immediately 
despatched  a  messenger  to  bring  the  boy,  who  was  at  a  dis- 
tance, and  who  arrived  the  following  day. 

On  my  return  to  Mosega,  and  approaching  the  base  of  one 
of  those  hills  amidst  which  the  town  lay  embosomed,  a  hu- 
man being  was  seen  rushing  down  the  steep  towards  the 
wagons,  with  a  rapidity  which  led  us  to  fear  that  she  would 
fall  headlong.  Every  eye  was  upon  her,  while  some  said, 
"  It  is  the  alarm  of  war."  The  wagon-driver  who  sat  by 
me,  most  emphatically  exclaimed,  "  It  is  a  woman,  either 
running  from  a  lion  or  to  save  a  child."     Yes,  it  was  the 

31 


362  moselekatse's  inquiries. 

mother.  She  had  heard  from  some  of  the  party  who  pre- 
ceded the  wagons  that  morning,  that  her  son  was  there  :  she 
had  ascended  the  hill  behind  which  the  town  lay,  and  gazed 
till  the  wagon  emerged  from  a  ravine.  Frantic  with  joy, 
she  ran  breathless  towards  me.  To  prevent  her  coming  in 
contact  with  the  wagon  wheels,  I  sprang  to  the  ground,  when 
she  seized  my  hands,  kissed  and  bathed  them  with  her  tears. 
She  spoke  not  one  word,  but  wept  aloud  for  joy.  Her  son 
drew  near,  when  she  instantly  ru.shed  forward,  and  clasped 
him  in  her  arms. 

In  the  frequent  intercourse  I  had  with  Moselekatse,  he 
was  very  inquisitive.  The  missionary,  as  an  instructor  of 
the  natives  in  divine  truth,  was  to  him  a  mysterious  charac- 
ter. He  asked  me  if  I  could  make  rain.  I  referred  him  to 
the  Governor  of  the  universe,  who  alone  could  give  rain  and 
fruitful  seasons.  'Umbate  was  more  than  once  called  to  bear 
his  testimony  as  to  our  operations  and  manner  of  living  at 
the  Kuruman.  Our  leaving  our  own  country  for  the  sake  of 
the  natives,  obedient  to  the  will  of  the  invincible  Being 
whose  character  I  had  described,  was  to  him  a  bewildering 
fact ;  for  he  did  not  appear  to  doubt  my  word ;  and  how  we 
could  act  independently  of  our  sovereign,  or  without  being 
his  emissaries,  he  could  not  understand  :  but  his  greatest  puz- 
zle was,  that  I  had  not  seen  my  king,  and  could  not  describe 
his  riches,  by  the  numbers  of  his  flocks  and  herds.  I  tried 
to  explain  to  him  the  character  of  the  British  government,  the 
extent  of  our  commerce,  and  the  good  our  nation  was  doing 
in  sending  the  Gospel  of  peace  and  salvation  to  the  nations 
which  know  not  God  ;  and  told  him  also,  that  our  king  too 
had  his  instructors  to  teach  him  to  serve  that  God,  who 
alone  was  "  King  of  kings,  and  King  of  the  heavens."  "  Is 
your  king  like  me  ?"  he  asked.  I  was  sorry  I  could  not  give 
him  a  satisfactory  reply.  AVhen  I  described  the  blessed 
effects  of  peace,  the  populousness  of  my  own  country,  the 
industry  of  tlie  ])eople,  the  number  of  sheep  and  cattle  daily 
slaughtered  in  the  great  towns,  the  reigning  passion  again 
burst  forth  in  the  exclamation,  "  Your  nation  must  be  terrible 
in  battle  ;  you  mu.st  tell  your  king  I  wish  to  live  in  peace." 

The  day  after  this  conversation  he  came  to  me,  attended 
by  a  party  of  his  warriors,  who  remained  at  a  short  distance 
from  us,  dancing  and  singing.  Their  yells  and  .shouts,  their 
fantastic  leaps,  and  distorted  gestures,  would  have  impressed 
a  stranger  with  the  idea  that  they  were  more  like  a  compa- 
ny of  fiends  than  men.  Addressing  me,  he  said,  "  I  am  a 
king,  but  you  are  Machobane,  and  I  am  come  to  sit  at  your 


PASSION    FOR    WAR.  363 

feet  for  instruction."  This  was  seasonable  ;  for  my  mind 
had  just  been  occupied  in  contemplating  the  miseries  of  the 
savaije  state.  I  spoke  much  on  man's  ruin,  and  man's  re- 
demption. "  Why,"  he  asked,  '^  are  you  so  earnest  that  I 
abandon  all  war,  and  not  kill  men  V'  "  Look  on  the  human 
bones  which  lie  scattered  over  your  dominions,"  was  my  re- 
ply. "  They  speak  in  awful  language,  and  to  me  they  say, 
'  Whosoever  sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man  also  will  his 
blood  be  shed.'  "  This  was  fearful  language  in  the  ears 
of  such  a  murderer.  "  You  say,"  he  added,  "  that  the  dead 
will  rise  again."  My  remarks  on  this  subject,  were  starthng 
in  the  ears  of  a  savage,  and  he  interrupted  by  hastily  assur- 
ing me  that  he  would  not  go  to  war.  While  we  were  yet 
speaking,  a  body  of  Machaha  soldiers  advanced,  and  bowed 
behind  their  shields  at  a  distance,  to  wait  his  awful  nod. 
The  Entoto  (married  man)  their  leader,  then  addressed  him 
in  language  and  attitude  the  most  suppliant.  The  burden 
of  the  petition  was,  "  Permit  us,  O  king  of  heavens,  to  ob- 
tain new  shields :"  in  other  words,  "  Allow  us  to  go  and  at- 
tack some  distant  town,  to  acquire  new  spoils  and  fresh  glo- 
ry." This  was  an  inauspicious  moment  for  these  ambitious 
men.  Turning  to  me,  the  monarch  said,  "  You  see  it  is  my 
people  who  wish  to  make  war,"  and  instantly  dismissed 
them  from  his  presence. 

As  he  was  rather  profuse  in  his  honorary  titles,  especially 
in  calling  me  a  king,  I  requested  him  rather  to  call  me 
teacher,  or  anything  but  a  king.  "  Then,"  he  said,  "  shall  I 
call  you  my  father  ?"  "  Yes,"  I  rejoined,  "  but  only  on  con- 
dition that  you  be  an  obedient  son."  This  drew  from  him 
and  his  nobles  a  hearty  laugh.  When  I  recommended  a 
system  which  would  secure  not  only  safety,  but  plenty  to  his 
people,  without  the  unnatural  one  of  keeping  up  a  force  of 
many  thousands  of  unmarried  warriors  ;  he  tried  to  convince 
me  that  his  people  were  happy,  and  to  a  stranger  they  might 
appear  so,  for,  alas,  they  dared  not  let  any  murmur  reach  his 
ear,  but  I  knew  more  than  he  was  aware  of  I  knew  many 
a  couch  was  steeped  with  silent  tears,  and  many  an  acre 
stained  with  human  blood.  About  ten  minutes  after  the 
conversation,  a  lovely  boy,  the  son  of  one  of  his  many  wives, 
sat  smiling  on  my  knee,  caressing  me  as  if  I  were  his  own 
father.  As  some  of  the  king's  harem  was  seated  near,  I 
asked  the  boy  which  was  his  mother.  He  shook  his  little 
head  and  sighed.  I  asked  no  more,  but  learned  soon  after 
that  the  mother,  who  was  the  daughter  of  a  captive  chief, 
was  a  superior  woman,  and  took  the  liberty  of  remonstrating 


364  A   MONSTROUS    ACTION. 

with  her  lord  on  the  multitude  of  his  concubines.  In  the 
morning  she  was  dragged  out  of  her  house,  and  her  head 
severed  from  her  body. 

The  happiness  of  the  king  and  his  subjects  appeared  to  be 
entirely  derived  from  their  success  in  war,  and  the  reward 
of  a  wife  M'as  a  stimulus  to  his  men  to  multiply  their  victims. 
Days  of  feasting  were  held,  when  they  glutted  themselves 
with  flesh.  The  bloody  bowl  was  the  portion  of  those  who 
could  count  the  tens  they  had  slain  in  the  day  of  battle. 
One  evening  two  men  bore  towards  me  an  enormous  basket. 
It  was  the  royal  dish  sent  from  the  presence  of  his  majesty. 
The  contents  smoking  blood,  apparently  as  liquid  as  if  it  had 
just  come  from  the  arteries  of  the  ox,  and  mixed  with  sausa- 
ges of  suet.  I  acknowledged  the  honour  he  wished  to  con- 
fer, but  begged  to  be  excused  partaking  of  so  lordly  a  dish, 
as  I  never  ate  blood  when  I  could  get  any  thing  else.  This 
refusal  gave  perfect  satisfaction,  when  the  w^iole  breast  of  an 
ox  well  stewed,  was  immediately  sent  in  its  place.  As  no- 
thing can  be  returned,  the  bearers  of  the  smoking  present, 
and  others  who  were  standing  round  it,  had  scarcely  heard 
that  they  might  do  what  they  pleased  with  it,  when  they 
rushed  upon  it,  scooping  it  up  with  their  hands,  making  a 
noise  equal  to  a  dozen  hungry  hogs  around  a  well  filled 
trough. 

On  my  journey  to  and  from  this  polite,  and,  I  might  truly 
add,  grateful  barbarian,  I  received  great  attention,  and  was 
exposed  to  no  annoyance.  Having  to  pass  through  a  coun- 
try full  of  lions,  a  number  of  warriors  constantly  attended  the 
wagons,  whom  I  supplied  with  food  out  of  the  numberless 
presents  of  milk,  grain,  and  .slaughter  oxen  which  I  had  re- 
ceived from  their  munificent  master.  On  more  than  one 
occasion  as  many  as  fifty  dishes  were  brought  from  a  village 
and  placed  before  me  ;  but  the  Matabele  escort  could  not 
conceal  their  strong  passion  for  meat ;  and  when  I  gave 
them  the  leg  or  shoulder  of  an  ox,  they  immediately  kindled 
a  fire,  into  the  centre  of  which  the  whole  leg  would  be 
thrown,  and  occasionally  turned  with  a  long  pole.  After 
being  burned  and  roasted  some  inches  deep,  it  was  dragged 
forth,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  sufficiently  cool  to  alloAV  of  its 
being  seized  with  their  hands,  they  squatted  on  the  ground 
around  it,  and  raising  it  to  a  level  with  their  mouths,  each 
tore  off  a  piece,  and  the  mass  might  be  seen  moving  to  and 
fro,  according  to  the  success  of  the  teeth  in  seizing  a  firm 
hold.  When  they  had  penetrated  to  what  was  too  raw,  it 
was  thrown  again  into  the  fire  for  a  second  course.     I  never 


THE    HORRORS    OF    WAR.  365 

saw  them  eat  raw  flesh,  as  some  have  affirmed  to  he  their 
practice. 

To  these  facts,  extracted  from  a  vc  tr-^'nous  journal,  my 
limits  will  only  permit  me  to  add  one  ^  tare  more  of  hea- 
thenism, calculated  to  awaken  all  the  s ,  mpathies  of  an  en- 
lightened mind.  I  am  persuaded  no  one  of  my  readers 
would  thank  me  for  a  minute  description  of  manners  and 
dress,  which  could  only  excite  disgust,  and  details  of  revenge 
and  the  punishment  of  capital  crimes,  in  which  there  is  a 
combination  of  all  that  is  ferocious,  horrid,  and  cruel.  The 
following  description  of  their  mode  of  warfare  and  treatment 
of  captives,  cannot  but  excite  the  deepest  sympathy  for  the 
millions  of  our  fellow  men,  who  are  perishing  thus  awfully 
for  lack  of  knowledge  in  the  dark  regions  of  this  benighted 
world. 

The  Matabele  were  not  satisfied  with  simply  capturing 
cattle,  nothing  less  than  the  entire  subjugation,  or  destruction 
of  the  vanquished,  could  quench  their  insatiable  thirst  for 
power.  Thus  when  they  conquered  a  town,  the  terrified 
inhabitants  were  driven  in  a  mass  to  the  outskirts,  when  the 
parents  and  all  the  married  women  were  slaughtered  on  the 
spot.  Such  as  have  dared  to  be  brave  in  the  defence  of 
their  town,  their  wives,  and  their  children,  are  reserved  for  a 
still  more  terrible  death  ;  dry  grass,  saturated  with  fat,  is  tied 
round  their  naked  bodies  and  then  set  on  fire.  The  youths 
and  srirls  are  loaded  as  beasts  of  burden  with  the  spoils  of 
the  town,  to  be  marched  to  the  homes  of  their  victors.  If 
the  town  be  in  an  isolated  position,  the  helpless  infants  are 
left  to  perish  either  with  hunger,  or  to  be  devoured  by  beasts 
of  prey.  On  such  an  event,  the  lions  scent  the  slain  and 
leave  their  lair.  The  hyenas  and  jackals  emerge  from  their 
lurking  places  in  broad  day,  and  revel  in  the  carnage,  w4iile 
a  cloud  of  vultures  may  be  seen  descending  on  the  living 
and  the  dead,  and  holding  a  carnival  on  human  flesh.  Should 
a  suspicion  arise  in  the  savage  bosom  that  these  helpless 
innocents  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  friends,  they  will  prevent 
this  by  collecthig  tliem  into  a  fold,  and  after  raising  over 
them  a  pile  of  brushwood,  apply  the  flaming  torch  to  it, 
when  the  town,  but  lately  the  scene  of  mirth,  becomes  a  heap 
of  ashes.  Oh  !  Christians  of  England,  can  you  as  subjects  of 
divine  love,  as  possessing  the  blessed  Gospel  of  the  Son  of 
God,  and  as  holding  his  last  commission  from  the  mount  of 
Olives  to  publish  it  to  the  ends  of  the  earth, — can  you  gaze 
on  these  fields  of  human  blood,  these  regions  of  unutterable 
woe,  without  emotion  ?     Ah !  brethren,  could  you  behold  the 

31* 


366  SAFE    ARRIVAL. 

scenes  your  missionaries  witness,  you  would  wake  up  with 
a  power  of  pity  which  would  impel  you  to  deeds  of  Christian 
compassion,  compared  with  which  your  past  exertions  would 
appear  as  nothing. 

Having  resolved  on  returning,  Moselekatse  accompanied 
me  in  my  wagon  a  long  day's  journey  to  one  of  his  principal 
towns.  He  soon  became  accustomed  to  the  jolting  of  an 
African  wagon,  and  found  it  convenient  to  lay  his  well  lubri- 
cated body  down  on  my  bed,  to  take  a  nap.  On  awaking  he 
mvited  me  to  lie  down  beside  him ;  but  I  begged  to  be  ex- 
cused, preferring  to  enjoy  the  scenery  around  me.  Two 
more  days  we  spent  together,  during  w'hich  I  renewed  my 
entreaties  that  he  would  abstain  from  war,  promising  that 
one  day  he  should  be  favoured  with  missionaries,  which  he 
professed  to  desire.  Having  obtained  from  me  my  telescope, 
for  the  purpose,  he  said,  of  seeing  on  the  other  side  of  the 
mountains  if  Dingaan,  the  king  of  the  Zoolus,  whom  he 
justly  dreaded,  was  approaching,  I  bade  him  fareAvell,  with 
scarcely  a  hope  that  the  Gospel  could  be  successful  among 
the  Matabele,  until  there  should  be  a  revolution  in  the  go- 
vernment of  a  monarch,  who  demanded  that  homage  which 
pertains  to  God  alone,  A  few  moments  before  I  left  him,  I 
remarked  that  it  was  the  duty  of  a  wise  father  to  instruct  his 
son,  and  as  he  called  me  Machobane,  I  thought  it  right  again 
to  warn  him,  that  if  he  did  not  cease  from  war,  and  restrain 
his  lintuna  (nobles)  from  perpetrating  their  secret  and  dread- 
ful cruelties  on  the  aborigines,  he  might  expect  that  the 
eternal  God  would  frown  upon  him,  when  the  might  of  his 
power  would  soon  be  broken,  and  the  bones  of  his  warriors 
would  mingle  with  those  they  had  themselves  scattered  over 
his  desolate  dominions.  To  this  solemn  exhortation  he  only 
replied,  "  Pray  to  your  God  to  keep  me  from  the  power  of 
Dingaan."  After  a  journey  through  the  country  already 
described,  preserved  amid  many  dangers  from  beasts  of  prey, 
I  arrived  safely  at  home  after  an  absence  of  two  months,  and 
found  Mrs.  M.  and  our  family  with  Mr.  Hamilton  well,  and 
cheered  with  the  continued  display  of  the  Divine  blessing  on 
the  Kuruman  mission. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 


The  country  had  been  blessed  with  suoh  plentiful  rains 
that  fields  and  gardens  teemed  with  plenty,  such  as  had  not 
been  experienced  for  several  years.  The  ancient  ramparts 
of  superstition  had  been  broken  through  by  our  converts,  and 
many  others,  who  could  see  no  reason  why  the  productions 
of  their  field  and  garden  labour  should  be  confined  to  the  va- 
rieties of  their  native  grain  [flolcus  sorghum)  pumpkins,  kid- 
ney beans,  and  water  melons,  the  only  vegetables  cultivated 
by  their  forefathers.  Instead  of  purchasing  a  very  inferior 
tobacco  from  the  Bahurutsi,  who  were  no  longer  able  to  sup- 
ply the  market,  having  imitated  our  example  of  leading  out 
water,  they  began  to  plant  it  themselves,  and  it  soon  became 
a  profitable  article  of  traffic,  as  it  had  formerly  been  to  those 
who  lived  in  a  better  watered  country.  They  also  thank- 
fully accepted  the  seeds  and  plants  of  grain  and  vegetables 
we  had  introduced,  of  maize,*  wheat,  barley,  peas,  potatoes, 
carrots,  onions,  and  they  also  planted  fruit  trees.  As  the 
course  of  our  water  ditch  along  the  side  of  a  hill  appeared  as 
if  the  stream  ascended,  several  of  the  natives  set  to  work  in 
good  earnest,  and  cut  courses  leading  directly  up  hill,  hoping 
the  water  would  one  day  follow.  Ploughs,  harrows,  spades, 
and  mattocks  were  no  longer  viewed  as  the  implements  of  a 
certain  caste,  but  as  the  indispensaV)le  auxiliaries  to  existence 
and  comfort.  The  man  who  before  M'ould  have  disdained 
to  be  seen  engaged  in  such  an  occupation  and  with  such  a 
tool,  was  now  thankful  to  have  it  in  his  power  to  buy  a  spade. 

The  spiritual  affairs  of  the  station  kept  pace  with  external 
improvements.  The  house  of  God  continued  to  be  well  fill- 
ed, and  though  the  strong  excitement  which  prevailed  in  the 
early  part  of  1829  had  subsided,  knowledge  was  on  the  in- 
crease, a  growing  seriousness  was  observable,  and  there  was 
every  reason  for  encouragement.  Progress  was  made  in 
reading,  which  increased  my  anxiety  to  make   a  revision  of 

*  Maize  I  found  abundant  amontr  the  Matabole,  where  it  does  not  re- 
quire irrigation;  also  a  line  larj^e  species  of  kidney  bean,  the  pods  of 
which  grow  under  ground,  and  are  earthed  up  Uke  potatoes. 


368  DESCRIPTION   OF    THE    STATION. 

the  gospel  of  Luke,  especially  as  it  was  necessary  for  me  to 
visit  Cape  Town. 

As  soon  as  the  second  mission  house  was  finished,  and  oc- 
cupied by  Mr.  Hamilton,  the  foundation  of  a  place  of  wor- 
ship was  laid.  This  was  commenced  early  in  the  year  1830, 
at  the  sugge.stion  of  Mr.  Millen,  the  mason,  who  engaged  to 
devote  his  spare  time,  from  trading  in  the  interior,  to  the 
building  of  the  walls.  This  edifice,  however,  from  local  cir- 
cumstances, and  the  difficulty  of  procuring  timber,  was  not 
finished  till  several  years  afterwards.  The  buildings  are  of 
blue  or  dove-coloured  limestone,  and  thatched  with  reed  and 
straw.  The  place  of  worship  stands  between  the  mission- 
houses,  at  a  short  distance  from  each,  and  the  more  distant 
buildings  are  the  trader's  shop,  the  smith's  forge,  and  school- 
house.  The  lofty  trees  opposite  are  a  species  of  willow,  pe- 
culiar to  the  Gariep  or  Orange  River ;  along  the  roots  of 
these  trees  runs  a  watercourse  five  feet  wide  by  two  deep, 
and  beyond  are  the  gardens  and  valley  ground.  The  water- 
courses were  greatly  extended,  not  only  for  purposes  of  irri- 
gation, but  to  drain  the  extensive  valley  intended  to  be 
brought  into  cultivation  ;  a  native  water-fiscal  was  appointed 
to  take  care  of  them,  and  rewarded  by  those  possessing  gar- 
dens dependent  on  irrigation. 

Having  thus  been  permitted  to  witness  some  of  the  effects 
of  the  introduction  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Bechuanas,  and 
having  accomplished  a  translation  of  the  gospel  of  Luke,  and 
of  Dr.  Brown's  Scripture  Texts,*  I  repaired  with  my  fam- 
ily to  Cape  Town,  by  way  of  Algoa  Bay.  Before  leaving 
the  Kuruman,  I  signified  that  it  was  my  intention  to  collect 
subscriptions  among  the  friends  in  the  Colony,  toAvards  the 
building  of  a  new  place  of  worship.  When  this  was  made 
known,  a  number  of  the  natives  cheerfidly  came  forward, 
and  begged  to  add  their  mite  to  so  important  a  work.  Some 
subscribed  oxen,  others  goats,  and  a  few  money,  though  it 
was  still  very  scarce  among  them,  and  a  number  engaged  to 
give  some  months'  labour.  We  left  the  station  for  the  Colo- 
ny, and  on  arriving  at  Philipolis,  we  were  not  a  little  de- 
hghted  to  meet  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Melvill,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Baillie,  of  our  society,  destined  to  the  Bechuana  mission,  and 
Messrs.  Holland  and  Lemure,  from  the  Paris  Protestant 
Missionary  Society,  also  appointed  to  labour  in  the  interior. 
To  us,  so  long  accustomed  to  feel  as  if  cut  of  the  world,  and 

*  The  printincr  of  this  work  was  afterwards  abandoned,  and  its  place 
siipplied  by  the  Scripture  Lessons  used  in  the  Borough-road  and  other 
schools. 


LEARNING    TO    PRINT.  369 

comparatively  forgotten,  the  season  was  one  of  great  refresh- 
ment to  our  souls.  The  accession  of  so  many  new  labourers 
was  an  answer  to  many  prayers,  and  while  they  proceeded 
to  the  Kuruman,  we  went  on  our  way  rejoicing  in  the  assur- 
ance that  as  the  work  of  conversion  had  commenced,  a  glo- 
rious day  of  grace  was  dawning  on  the  Bechuana  tribes. 

After  arriving  at  Graham's  Town,  where  I  left  my  family 
while  I  visited  several  of  the  missionary  stations  in  Kafir- 
land,  and  then  some  of  those  within  the  Colony,  we  reached 
Cape  Town,  in  October  1830.  From  the  infant  state  of  ty- 
pography in  that  place,  I  found  it  necessary  to  apply  to  Sir 
Lowry  Cole,  then  governor,  to  allow  the  gospel  of  St.  Luke 
to  be  printed  at  the  government  printing-office.  This  re- 
quest was  cheerfully  acceded  to,  but  compositors  were  want- 
ed. This  circumstance,  with  the  promise  of  an  excellent 
printing  press,  which  Dr.  Phihp  had  in  his  possession  for  our 
mis.sion,  was  a  strong  inducement  for  me  to  learn  printing  j 
and  being  joined  by  Mr.  Edwards,  who  was  originally  des- 
tined to  the  Bechuana  mission,  and  now  appointed  to  go 
there,  the  work  was  completed  under  the  kind  superinten- 
dence of  Mr.  Van  de  Zandt.  The  paper  was  supplied  by 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  by  whom  also  other 
incidental  expenses  were  defrayed,  which  was  only  a  pre- 
cursor of  the  boon  since  conferred  by  that  noble  institution 
on  the  Bechuana  mission,  the  fruits  of  which  will  be  reaped 
by  generations  yet  unborn.  A  small  hymn-book  was  also 
printed  in  the  language.  These  labours  were  scarcely  com- 
pleted, when  a  severe  attack  of  bilious  fever,  occasioned  by 
over  exertion  in  the  hottest  season  of  the  year,  brought  me 
very  low,  but  though  I  was  so  weak  as  to  be  conveyed  on  a 
raiattrass  on  board  ship,  my  health  was  much  improved  by  a 
fourteen  days'  rough  passage  to  AlgoaBay.  Sickness  among 
our  oxen,  in  addition  to  Mrs.  M.'s  confinement,  detained  us 
some  time  at  Bethelsdorp,  from  whence,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards,  we  journeyed  to  the  Kuruman, 
where  we  arrived  in  June,  1831. 

Never  since  mis.sionaries  entered  the  country  was  such  a 
treasure  conveyed  to  the  mission  as  on  the  present  occasion, 
for  we  brought  with  us  an  edition  of  the  gospel  of  Luke,  and 
a  hymn  book  in  the  native  language,  a  printing  press,  type, 
paper,  and  ink,  besides  having  obtained  very  liberal  subscrip- 
tions from  the  friends  in  Cape  Town,  and  other  parts  of  the 
Colony,  towards  the  erection  of  a  place  of  worship.  In  ad- 
dition to  this,  Mr.  Edward's  knowledge  and  experience  in 
carpentering  and  building,  rendered  him  not  only  a  very 


370  SEASONABLE    SUPPLY. 

efficient  labourer,  but  a  seasonable  assistant  in  the  existing 
state  of  the  mission ;  and  his  superior  skill  was  afterwards 
called  into  operation,  by  raising  the  roof  of  the  largest  mis- 
sion chapel  in  South  Africa,  which,  in  that  remote  region, 
in  the  absence  of  cranes,  required  all  the  muscular  force  we 
could  collect.  This  was  a  new  era  in  the  mission,  and  the 
press  was  soon  called  into  operation,  when  lessons,  spelling 
books,  and  catechisms  were  prepared  for  the  schools.  Al- 
though many  of  the  natives  had  been  informed  how  books 
were  printed,  nothing  could  exceed  their  e^urprise  when  they 
saw  a  white  sheet,  after  disappearing  for  a  moment,  emerge 
spangled  with  letters.  After  a  few  noisy  exclamations,  one 
obtained  a  sheet  Avith  which  he  bounded  into  the  village, 
showing  it  to  every  one  he  met,  and  asserting  that  Mr. 
Edwards  and  [  had  made  it  in  a  moment,  with  a  round 
black  hammer  (a  printer's  ball)  and  a  shake  of  the  arm. 
The  description  of  such  a  juggling  process,  soon  brought  a 
crowd  to  see  the  segatisho  (press),  which  has  since  proved 
an  auxiliary  of  vast  importance  to  our  cause. 

Great  was  our  joy  to  find,  on  our  return  after  a  year's 
absence,  that  Mr.  Hamilton,  our  veteran  brother,  was  well, 
and  that  the  station  continued  in  a  prosperous  state.  Our 
two  French  brethren  had  suffered  severely  from  an  attack 
of  illness,  but  were  recovering.  Mr.  RoUand  had  gone  to 
look  out  for  a  station  among  the  Bahurutsi,  from  whom  he 
returned  w^th  a  very  flattering  report ;  and  immediately  the 
necessary  preparations  were  made  for  commencing  opera- 
tions at  Mosega. 

Among  the  treasures  brought  with  us  from  the  Colony, 
was  a  box  of  materials  for  clothing,  for  the  encouragement 
of  such  as  were  making  efforts  to  clothe  themselves.  This 
was  the  first  supply  of  the  kind,  and  nothing  could  be  more 
seasonable  to  a  people  just  beginning  to  emerge  from  barba- 
rism, the  impoverished  remains  of  scattered  tribes,  but  the 
first-fruits  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Bechuanas.  Tlie  needy 
were  supplied,  and  many  a  heart  was  made  glad.  It  is 
impossible  for  the  author  to  revert  to  that  interesting  season, 
■without  recalling  with  gratitude  the  memory  of  one  who 
took  the  liveliest  intere.st  in  the  Bechuanas.  To  the  late 
Miss  Lees,  the  constant  and  beloved  friend  of  Mrs.  M.,  we 
were  indebted  for  active  exertions  amongst  the  friends  in 
the  congregation  of  Grosvenor  Street  Chapel,  Manchester, 
not  only  in  procuring  this  token  of  kindness  for  the  poor 
natives,  but  subsequent  supplies ;  she  also  collected  a  suffi- 
cient sum  to  supply  us  with  a  small  fount  of  type  :  services 


371 

recorded  in  the  annals  of  the  heavenly  world  whither  she  is 
gone. 

Having  thus  obtained  materials  to  work  upon,  and  Mrs. 
M.  now  having  the  effective  co-operation  of  Mrs.  EdM'ards 
and  Mrs.  BailHe,  a  sewing  school,  on  a  much  larger  scale 
than  before,  was  carried  on,  to  the  great  comfort  and  im- 
provement of  the  natives.  The  increase  of  our  congrega- 
tion obliged  us  to  build  an  additional  wing  to  the  chapel, 
and  several  members  were  received  into  the  church.  This 
season  of  pleasure  was  not  without  some  alloy,  for  the  small- 
pox entered  the  country,  and  the  epidemic,  with  which  old 
rnen  only  were  previously  acquainted,  swept  away  many  of 
the  inhabitants  ;  and  among  those  who  died  on  our  station, 
was  one  of  my  own  children.  This  was  a  fearful  visitation, 
and  appeared  to  have  been  first  brought  by  the  wreck  of  a 
commando,  which  returned  from  an  attack  on  Moselekatse. 

Berend  Berend,  labouring  under  an  unaccountable  delu- 
lusion  that  he  was  destined  to  sweep  Moselekatse,  and  his 
gang  of  blood  guilty  warriors,  from  the  fine  pastures  and 
glens  of  the  Bakone  country,  and  thus  emancipate  the  abo- 
rigines from  their  thraldom,  collected  a  heterogeneous  mul- 
titude of  Griquas  from  every  party  except  that  of  Waterboer, 
Corannas,  and  other  tribes,  with  sentiments  as  varied  as  the 
costume  they  wore,  but  unanimous  in  their  enmity  to  the 
Matabele  king,  and  sallied  forth  on  what  he  considered  a 
noble  but  daring  enterprise,  which  he  might  well  expect 
would  immortalize  his  name  as  a  benefactor  of  mankind. 
He  had  not,  however,  counted  the  cost,  nor  thought  of  the 
danger  of  joining  hands  with  the  wicked  ;  and  unfortunately 
his  valued  missionary,  the  Rev.  T.  L.  Hodgson,  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Society,  whose  well-known  superior  judgment,  and 
principles  of  love  and  mercy,  would  have  prevented  the  ca- 
tastrophe, was  absent  from  the  station.  The  cavalcade  of 
wagons  and  horsemen,  with  their  magazines  of  destruction, 
moved  tov/ards  the  dominions  of  the  haughty  tyrant,  while 
the  company  received  fresh  accessions  from  the  Barolongs 
and  others,  who  expected  to  come  in  for  a  share  of  the  spoil. 
Success  attended  their  arms,  while  the  lovely  landscape 
seemed  to  invite  them  to  become  lords  of  the  wide  domain, 
which  had  groaned  under  a  tyrant's  rod.  JNIoselekatse  and 
his  nobles  were  taken  by  surprise,  and  the  "  mighty  Ele- 
phant" was  ready  to  take  refuge  in  his  native  jungle.  The 
men  who  defended  his  outposts  teeming  with  cattle,  either 
fell  or  fled  in  consternation,  till  the  mass  of  captured  cattle 
became  too  unwieldy  to  be  guarded  even  by  such  a  force. 


372  THE   CATASTROPHE. 

The  sight  of  fat  oxen,  and  the  lowing  of  kine,  captivated 
their  souls ;  many  an  evil  eye  was  fixed  on  the  spoil,  and 
anxiety  to  obtain  the  largest  share  began  to  rankle  in  the 
breasts  of  the  victors.  They  had  slaughtered  and  eaten  to 
the  full.  The  female  prisoners  had  warned  them  of  their 
danger.  "  Shall  a  Kafir  dare  to  fight  with  a  Griqua  ?"  was 
the  evening's  watchword  ;  but  amidst  the  reckless  band  there 
were  quaking  hearts,  and  consciences  gnawing  like  the  worm 
that  dieth  not.  Without  a  picket,  a  sentinel,  or  a  watch,  all 
self-.secure,  they  fell  asleep.  Before  the  morning  dawned, 
just  as  the  waning  moon  clipped  behind  the  mountain  peak, 
a  chosen  band  of  veteran  Matabele  rolled  over  the  slumber- 
ing host,  scattering  confusion,  terror,  and  death.  While  many 
never  awoke,  some  fled  in  wild  dismay  ;  and  when  the  cur- 
tain of  night  was  withdrawn,  a  scene  was  exhibited — I  leave 
the  imagination  of  the  reader  to  depict. 

In  a  few  days  Berend,  of  whose  sincerity  no  one  could 
doubt,  and  who  had  remained  by  the  wagons  some  days' 
journey  distant  from  the  catastrophe,  heard  the  tale  of  hor- 
ror;  and,  now  half-convinced  that  he  was  not  the  man  to 
give  redemption  to  the  Bakone,  returned,  to  be  greeted  by 
the  widow's  wail.  It  may  not  be  improper  to  state  here, 
that  while  the  southern  portion  of  the  Matabele  country  was 
thus  made  the  theatre  of  bloodshed,  a  large  party  of  our  peo- 
ple Avere  on  a  hunting  expedition  in  the  very  centre  of  Mo- 
selekatse's  domains,  and  would  have  been  massacred,  by  a 
company  with  which  they  came  in  contact,  but  for  the  cir- 
cumstance of  their  being  li-om  the  Kuruman. 

It  was  about  six  months  after  these  events,  that  our  French 
brethren  .set  off  to  Mosega,  and  having  led  out  the  water, 
they  built  a  house,  and  formed  gardens,  hard  by  thousands 
of  the  Bahurutsi,  with  the  cheering  pro.spect  of  successfully 
planting  the  standard  of  the  Gospel  amidst  that  people.  But 
the  rapid  extension  of  Moselekatse's  dominion — the  cupidity 
and  overbearing  conduct  of  his  ambassadors  to  Mokatla, 
chief  of  the  Bahurutsi — and  the  duplicity  and  cunning  of 
the  latter,  who,  it  must  be  admitted,  had  but  too  good 
reason  to  dread  so  formidable  a  neighbour — soon  com- 
pelled the  missionaries  to  retire.  The  Bahurutsi  after- 
wards fled  from  their  country,  which  was  taken  by  the 
Matabele,  and  the  brethren  went  to  Motito.*  As  this 
place  was  within  the   range   of  our  labours,   the  brethren 

*  This  spot,  nearly  forty  miles  N.N.E.  of  the  Kuruman,  was  at  that 
time  only  a  fountain,  and  is  now  a  lovely  village,  containing  a  very  con- 
siderable population. 


A  daughter's  compassion.  373 

felt  some  delicacy  In  acceding  to  our  proposal,  that  they 
should  settle  there;  but  Dr.  Philip,  who  had  just  then 
arrived,  cordially  recommended  the  measure,  and  since  that 
time  we  have  continued  to  labour  in  the  most  perfect  har- 
mony and  affection. 

The  Doctor  also  considered  it  advisable  to  place  Mr.  Bail- 
lie,  who  had  already  made  considerable  progress  in  the 
Sechuana  language,  at  Tsantsabane,  where  a  large  party  of 
Bechuanas  had  congregated.  While  the  Doctor  was  with 
us,  it  was  deemed  proper  to  select  from  our  candidates  such 
as  had  approved  themselves  to  the  church  to  be  baptized. 
Five  made  public  profession  of  their  faith  in  the  Gospel. 
Most  of  these  were  foreigners,  who,  by  the  wars  in  the  inte- 
rior, had,  in  the  mysterious  providence  of  God,  been  brought 
by  a  way  they  knew  not,  to  find  an  eternal  home  by  becom- 
ing fellow  citizens  with  the  saints,  and  of  the  household  of 
God  ;  and  often  did  they  endeavour  to  describe,  with  native 
eloquence,  the  distinguishing  love  and  mercy  of  that  God 
who  had  directed  their  feet  to  the  Kuruman  mission.  Ma- 
monyatsi,  one  of  these,  some  years  after  died  in  the  faith. 
She  was  a  Matabele  captive,  and  had  accompanied  me  from 
the  interior ;  had  remained  some  time  in  the  service  of  Mrs. 
M.,  and  early  displayed  a  readiness  to  learn  to  read,  with 
much  quickness  of  understanding.  From  the  time  of  her 
being  united  with  the  church,  till  the  day  of  her  death,  she 
was  a  living  epistle  of  the  power  of  the  Gospel.  Once,  while 
visiting  the  sick,  as  I  entered  her  premises,  I  found  her  sit- 
ting, weeping,  with  a  portion  of  the  word  of  God  in  her 
hand. 

Addressing  her,  I  said,  "  My  child,  what  is  the  cause  of 
your  sorrow?  Is  the  baby  still  unwell?"  "No,"  she  re- 
plied, '•  my  baby  is  well."  "  Your  mother-in-law  ?"  I  in- 
quired. "  No,  no,"  she  said,  "  it  is  my  own  dear  mother, 
who  bore  me."  Here  she  again  gave  vent  to  her  grief,  and, 
holding  out  the  gospel  of  Luke,  in  a  hand  wet  with  tears, 
she  said,  "  My  mother  will  never  see  this  word,  she  will 
never  hear  this  good  news!"  She  wept  again  and  again,  and 
said,  "  Oh,  my  mother  and  my  friends,  they  live  in  heathen 
darkness;  and  shall  they  die  without  seeing  the  light  which 
has  shone  on  me,  and  without  tasting  that  love  which  I  have 
ta.sted!"  Raising  her  eyes  to  heaven,  she  sighed  a  prayer, 
and  I  heard  the  words  again,  "  My  mother,  my  mother!" 

This  was  the  expression  of  the  affection  of  one  of  Afric's 
sable  daughters,  whose  heart  had  been  taught  to  mourn  over 
the  ignorance  of  a  far-distant  mother.     Shortly  after  this 

32 


374  THE    SCRIPTURE    LESSONS. 

evidence  of  divine  love  in  her  soul,  I  was  called  upon  to 
watch  her  dying  pillow,  and  descended  with  her  to  Jordan's 
bank.  She  feared  no  rolling  billow.  She  looked  on  the 
babe  to  which  she  had  but  lately  given  birth,  and  commended 
it  to  the  care  of  her  God  and  Saviour.  The  last  words  I 
heard  from  her  faltering  lips  were,  "  My  mother." 

The  importance  of  introducing  the  Scripture  Lessons, 
already  referred  to,  having  been  suggested  by  Mr.  Miles, 
who  also  forwarded  me  a  copy,  I  immediately  set  about  a 
translation  of  this  invaluable  work,  which,  after  many  year's 
experience,  I  feel  no  hesitation  in  pronouncing  an  inimitable 
production  for  schools,  and  for  building  up  converts  among 
the  heathen,  in  the  absence  of  the  entire  Scriptures.  To 
spare  my  time  for  this  object,  Mrs.  M.,  in  April,  1833,  un- 
dertook a  journey  to  the  Colony,  in  order  to  see  the  children 
left  at  a  school  near  Graham's  Town,  and  to  take  another  for 
education.  On  her  return,  after  an  absence  of  five  months, 
our  printing-office  was  enriched  with  a  supply  of  large  type, 
kindly  furnished  by  the  Directors.  Our  Bechuana  schools, 
including  those  of  Griqua  Town  and  its  out-stations,  Motito, 
and  other  nurseries  of  education,  were  supplied  with  lessons 
which,  we  flattered  ourselves,  in  that  country,  were  well 
printed.  New  and  enlarged  editions  of  elementary  works 
were  also  printed,  and  portions  of  the  Scripture  Lessons  were 
turned  off,  each  additional  sheet  being  received  by  the  readers 
with  increasing  avidity.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see 
the  children  around  the  printing-office  door,  waiting  for  a 
new  sheet,  and  inquiring  when  additions  were  to  be  made  to 
their  little  treasures  of  knoAvledge.  We  were  visited  at  this 
time  with  refreshing  showers  of  Divine  blessing,  and  very 
considerable  accessions  were  made  to  the  number  of  be- 
lievers. Strangers  from  distant  tribes  were  received  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  children  of  God.  Among  these,  three  very 
aged  women,  all  grandmothers,  were  striking  instances  of 
the  power  of  Divine  grace.  One  of  them  has  finished  her 
course  since  the  author  came  to  England.  Although  blind, 
the  eyes  of  her  understanding  were  opened  by  the  entranc^e 
of  that  word  which  giveth  light.  From  that  time  till  her 
death,  a  period  of  several  year.s,  she  continued  to  adorn  her 
profession  by  a  consistent  walk  and  conversation.  The  in- 
firmities of  age  prevented  her  attending  public  worship  as 
often  as  she  desired.  Two  or  three  months  prior  to  her  de- 
cease she  was  confined  to  the  house,  when,  as  Mr.  Edwards 
writes,  "  she  appeared  to  dwell  with  delight  on  the  marvel- 
lous goodness  of  the  Lord  to  her  ;"  and  adds, 


THE    DYING   GRANDMOTHER.  375 

"  On  one  occasion  when  I  visited  her,  I  had  positively  to  restrain  her, 
that  she  mii^ht  not  exhaust  her  strength.  Sensible  that  she  could  not 
survive,  she  admonished  all  who  visited  her  to  think  for  eternity.  A  few 
days  before  her  death  she  wished  her  children  to  be  u;athered  together  in 
her  presence,  desimig  to  speak  to  them  l)efore  she  left  them.  1  hey  sur- 
rounded her  bed;  and  when  informed  that  all  were  present,  she  addressed 
them,  'My  children.  I  wish  you  to  know  that  I  am  to  be  separated  from 
you,  but  you  must  not  on  that  account  be  sorrowful.  Do  not  murmur  at 
the  thought  of  my  decease.  1'he  Lord  has  spared  me  not  a  few  days: 
ile  has  tdken  care  of  me  many  years,  and  has  ever  been  merciful  to  me ; 
I  have  wanted  no  good  thing.  1  know  him  to  whom  1  have  trusted  the 
salvation  of  my  soul.  My  hope  is  fixed  on  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  died 
for  my  sins,  and  lives  to  nitercede.  1  shall  soon  die  and  and  be  at  rest; 
but  my  wish  is,  that  you  will  attend  to  these  my  words.  My  children, 
liold  tast  your  faith  in  Christ.  Trust  in  him,  love  him,  and  let  not  the 
world  turn  you  away  from  him;  and  however  you  may  bi;  reviled  and 
troubled  in  tue  world,  hold  very  fast  the  word  of  God,  and  faint  not  in 
persevering  prayer.  My  last  word  is,  strive  to  live  together  in  peace, 
iivoitl  dis[»utes.  Follow  peace  with  all,  and  especially  among  yourselves. 
Love  each  other;  comfort  each  other;  assist  and  take  care  of  each  other 
in  the  Lord.'  Atter  this  charge  to  her  children,  she  said  liut  little.  Her 
last  words  were  spoken  some  hours  belore  her  death,  when  a  church 
member,  ever  in  attendance  at  sick  beds,  called  upon  her.  She  heard  his 
voice,  and  said,  'Yes,  1  know  thee,  Mogami,  my  brother  in  the  Lord.  1 
am  going,  but  thou  wilt  remain.  Hold  fast  the  word  of  Cod.  Turn  not 
from  his  ways.  And  take  a  message  to  thy  wife,  my  sister  in  the  Lord, 
that  she  must  use  all  diligence  to  ensure  eternal  life.'  " 

Thus  ended  the  career  of  Mamotlobogi,  \vhotn  the  author 
knew  when  her  enmity  to  the  Gospel  made  her  a  terror  to 
her  own  chiklren  ;  but  in  answer  to  many  prayers,  she  was 
thus  completely  transformed.  Slie  Avas  often  seen  leaning 
on  a  stick,  led  by  a  grand  child  to  the  house  of  prayer.  Let 
the  reader  contrast  the  above  death-bed  scene  with  the 
picture  of  heathenism  given  in  page  248  of  the  present 
work. 

Another  of  these  grandmothers,  who  had  wallowed  in  the 
very  sewers  of  heathenism,  the  dupe  of  all  the  superstitions 
of  Ibrmer  times,  had  been  an  active  agent  of  the  wicked  one 
in  opposing  the  progress  of  the  Gospel.  As  the  representa- 
tive of  bygone  ages — for  the  snows  of  many  a  year  were 
seen  through  the  mass  of  grease  and  dirt  which  adorned  her 
head — she  was  regarded  with  reverence  by  the  younger 
females  on  the  station,  as  the  oracle  of  ancient  Avisdom.  She 
was  wont  to  tell  them  what  they  knew  not,  of  the  customs 
of  their  ancestors.  Had  she  been  a  man,  her  contaminating 
influence  would  long  have  been  arrested :  for  there  were 
those  on  the  station  whose  influence  would  have  driven  her 
to  seek  an  asylum  elsewhere,  but  she  was  borne  with  be- 
cause she  was  a  woman.  She  hated  the  very  sight  of  the 
place  of  worship,  and  had  taught  many  to  blaspheme.     One 


376  ANOTHER   INSTANCE. 

day  she  entered  the  chapel  in  quest  of  a  child,  and  was  con- 
strained to  sit  a  few  minutes.  She  had  not  heard  many 
sentences,  when  she  fled  from  the  hated  spot.  On  the 
Sabbath  following  she  came  again,  when  all  who  saw  her 
felt  alarmed,  lest  violence  was  intended  against  some  one  ; 
but  she  quietly  heard  the  voice  of  mercy,  and  retired  in  an 
orderlj'^  manner.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days  she  came  to 
the  author  in  a  state  bordering  on  distraction.  "  My  sins, 
my  sins!"  was  the  language  of  her  lips;  tears  streaming 
down  her  already  furrowed  cheeks.  Her  half  frantic  soul 
would  hear  no  comfort,  nor  listen  to  any  counsel.  Night 
after  night  she  would  call  me  out  of  bed,  to  tell  her  what 
was  to  become  of  her  soul.  One  day,  meeting  her  in  the 
street,  with  both  hands  she  grasped  mine,  and,  as  if  her 
heart  would  break,  exclaimed,  "  To  live  I  cannot — I  cannot 
die."  Again  she  was  directed  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  the 
fountain  opened  for  her  sins ;  but  she  interrupted,  by  saying, 
"  You  say  the  blood  of  Christ  cleanses  from  all  sins  ;  do  you 
know  the  number  of  mine?  Look  to  yonder  grassy  plain,  and 
count  the  blades  of  grass  or  the  drops  of  dew ;  these  are 
nothing  to  the  amount  of  my  transgressions."  After  contin- 
uing in  this  state  several  weeks,  she  was  enabled  to  believe, 
when  the  being  who  once  persecuted  and  cursed  all  who 
bore  the  Christian  name,  a  mass  of  filth,  which  had  given  to 
her  haggard  and  aged  form  an  unearthly  look,  was  found 
sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  clothed,  and  in  her  right  mind, 
adoring  the  riches  of  Divine  grace,  to  one  who  was,  as  she 
would  describe  herself,  "  like  the  mire  of  the  street."  Re- 
marking to  her  one  day,  that,  from. her  constant  attendance 
on  every  means  of  instruction,  she  seemed  like  the  Psalmist 
of  old,  desiring  "to  dwell  in  the  house  of  tlie  Lord  for  ever," 
she  replied,  "  I  am  old  in  the  world,  but  I  am  still  a  child  in 
the  school  of  Christ."  She  continued  fervent  in  spirit ;  the 
subject  of  Divine  mercy  and  love  so  completely  absorbing 
all  the  powers  of  her  mind,  that  when  visited  in  seasons  of 
affliction,  it  was  difficult  to  elicit  any  thing  about  her  dis- 
ease ;  for,  if  her  answer  commenced  with  the  flesh,  it  was 
certain  to  end  with  the  spirit.  When  subscriptions  were 
making  for  the  Auxiliary  Missionary  Society,  she  one  day 
brought  in  her  hand  her  mite,  a  pumpkin  ;  and  when  my 
wife  remarked  that  she  might  retain  it,  and  she  would  put 
down  her  name  for  a  small  sum,  her  soul  seemed  to  melt 
within  her,  while  she  asked,  "  Who  is  so  great  a  debtor  to 
the  Saviour  as  I  am  ?  Is  it  too  small  ?  I  shall  go  and  borrow 


POLYGAMY.  377 

another."  This  was  verily  the  widow's  mite,  and  was 
douhtless  followed  by  the  widow's  reward. 

Among  numerous  examples  of  the  power  of  Divine  grace, 
it  ought  to  be  particularly  noticed,  that  polygamy,  that  for- 
midable barrier  {o  tlie  success  of  the  Gospel  among  barbar- 
ous nations,  has  in  numerous  instances  given  way  to  the 
principle  sanctioned  by  Christianity.  Submission  to  this  law 
is  the  severest  test  to  which  a  savage  can  be  subjected. 
When  we  see  a  man,  for  conscience'  sake,  parting  with  one 
or  more  favorite  wives,  can  we  deny  him  the  credit  of  sin- 
cerity ?  can  we  demand  a  more  satisfactory  demonstration 
of  the  reality  of  the  change  ?  Among  the  converts  at  Gri- 
qua  Town  was  a  Mosutu,  who  had  ten  \vives,  and  he  cheer- 
fully parted  with  nine  in  obedience  to  the  requirements  of 
the  Gospel.  I  believe  all  the  missionaries  among  the  Bech- 
uanas  are  unanimous  in  the  opinion,  that  not  only  an  elder, 
but  every  member  of  the  church,  ought  to  be  "  the  husband 
of  one  wife  ;"  and  that  the  jBrst  wife  should  be  considered 
as  having  the  rightful  claim,  unless  she  voluntarily  renoun- 
ces it,  which  has  sometimes  been  done.  Of  course  it  is  un- 
derstood that  such  are  provided  for  by  the  husband  as  long 
as  they  continue  unmarried. 

The  villages  of  Hamhana,  about  eight  miles  distant,  con- 
taining, at  that  time,  upwards  of  a  thousand  inhabitants, 
were  regularly  visited  by  one  of  us:  and  from  the  time  that 
the  mission  had  been  removed,  we  had  continued  to  preach 
to  that  people  without  any  fruit  whatever  from  our  labours ; 
but  on  these  a  blessing  eventually  descended,  and  many 
from  among  them  have  been  added  to  the  chiu'ch.  These 
have  made  delightful  progress  in  the  knowledge  of  Divine 
truth,  and  have  realized  our  highest  expectations.  They 
derived  great  benefit  from  the  most  intelligent  of  our  mem- 
bers, who  resided  among  them,  and  laboured  for  years,  in- 
fluenced only  by  the  constraining  love  of  Christ. 

About  this  time,  the  seed  sown  by  Mr.  Lemue  at  Motito 
began  also  to  spring  up,  to  cheer  him  and  his  beloved  part- 
ner in  their  solitary  labours.  Notwithstanding  these  pleasing 
indications,  we  were  not  without  our  troubles  and  enemies. 
We  had  to  mourn  over  a  few  who  fell  back  into  heathen- 
ism, and  thus  became  stumbling:  blocks  to  others.  Great 
forbearance  and  charity  require  to  be  exercised  towards  such 
as  have  but  just  emerged  from  the  grossest  ignorance,  and  it 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if,  in  studiou.sly  avoiding  to  break 
the  bruised  reed,  some  are  received  even  too  weak  in  the 
faith.     Many,  alarmed  at  the   progress  made  by  the  ''  medi- 

32* 


378  DR.    A.  smith's    KINDjMESS. 

cine  of  God's  word,"  as  they  termed  it,  were  loud  in  tlieir 
complaints  of  the  new  order  of  things  which  was  introduced, 
and  some  were  so  determinately  opposed  to  this  new  word 
or  doctrine,  that  they  removed  to  a  distance  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  Christian  atmosphere.  Some  were  concerned, 
lest  the  water  in  the  river  which  passed  our  houses  might 
receive  an  infusion,  and  being  drank  transform  them  too. 
None  of  the  chiefs  of  any  influence  had  then  embraced 
Ciiristianity,  and  though  they  did  not  publicly  oppose  us, 
they  were  of  course  no  advocates  for  a  doctrine,  which, 
though  like  a  leaven,  it  was  difl'using  the  blessings  of  purity 
and  peace  among  the  tribes,  was  dreaded  by  the  worldling 
and  lascivious.  They  did  not,  as  formerly,  manifest  any 
desire  that  we  should  leave  the  country,  but  on  the  contrary, 
would  deprecate  such  an  event.  Our  itinerating  journeys 
became  extended,  and  we  were  occasionally  visited  by  in- 
dividuals from  a  distance,  who  took  with  them  some  portion 
of  the  word  of  life  which  they  had  heard  on  the  station,  by 
which  means  the  savour  of  the  Gospel  was  spread. 

In  January  1835,  Dr.  Andrew  Smith,  at  the  head  of  an 
expedition  to  explore  the  interior,  sent  by  an  association  in 
Cape  Town,  arrived  at  the  Kuruman.  To  myself  as  Avell 
as  my  wife,  this  was  a  dispensation  of  mercy,  ordered  hy 
that  gracious  Providence,  without  whom  a  sparrow  cannot 
fall  to  the  ground.  Domestic  affliction  having  compelled 
Mr.  Edwards  to  visit  the  Colony,  in  addition  to  the  increase 
of  labour  which  necessarily  devolved  on  me  during  his  ab- 
sence, I  had  been  induced  to  apply  to  translation  and  print- 
ing more  closely  than  my  strength  would  allow,  in  the  hottest 
season  of  the  year,  during  which  much  rain  had  fallen. 

Dr.  S.  found  me  suflering  from  a  severe  attack  of  inter- 
mittent fever,  but  by  the  Divine  blessing  on  his  medical  skill, 
I  was  soon  restored.  While  the  Expedition  was  surveying 
the  borders  of  the  Kalagare  desert,  prior  to  their  visit  to 
Moselekatse's  dominions,  Mrs.  M.  was,  after  the  birth  of  a 
son,  suddenly  taken  ill,  and  brought  to  the  very  gates  of 
death.  The  doctor,  when  informed  of  this,  immediately 
hastened  to  render  all  the  relief  in  his  power.  His  tender 
sympathy,  and  unremitting  attention  in  that  trying  season, 
during  which  all  hope  of  her  recovery  more  tlian  once  had 
fled,  can  never  be  erased  from  our  grateful  recollection,  for 
in  the  midst  of  his  active  and  laborious  engagements  at  the 
head  of  the  Expedition,  he  watched  for  several  successive 
nights  with  fraternal  sympathy,  what  appeared  to  be  the  dy- 
ing pillow  of  my  beloved  partner,  nor  did  he  leave   before 


ARRIVE    AT    MOSELEKATSE.  379 

s1ie  was  out  of  danger.  While  we  devoutly  acknowledged 
His  hand,  "  who  healeth  all  our  diseases,"  we  cannot  but 
record  how  much  we  owe  to  this  intelligent  and  enterprising 
traveller,  for  the  untiring  assiduity  with  which  he  exercised 
his  professional  skill. 

I'he  Kuatsi  disease  was  also  prevailing  on  the  station  at 
tliis  time,  and  Dr.  S.  greatly  endeared  himself  to  our  people 
in  general  by  his  benevolent  exertions  among  them.  These 
circumstances,  as  well  as  a  disease  among  his  oxen,  arising 
from  the  luxuriance  of  the  grass,*  detained  him  longer  tlian 
he  intended  at  the  Kuruman,  but  by  his  persevering  dih- 
gence,  it  added  materially  to  the  objects  of  the  Expedition, 
by  enriching  his  collection  of  specimens.  A  regular  corres- 
pondence had  been  kept  up  between  our  station  and  Mosel- 
ekatse,  who  had  never  in  one  instance  wavered  in  the  confi- 
dence he  placed  in  me  since  my  former  visit.  Messengers 
who  had  noAV  been  sent  to  him,  having  returned  with  a  Ma- 
tabele  for  the  purpose  of  inviting  the  Expedition  to  proceed, 
the  Doctor  thought  my  presence  might  facilitate  his  object, 
and  was  anxious  for  me  to  accompany  him.  Mrs.  M.,  on 
the  day  of  our  departure,  was  just  able  to  rise  from  her  bed 
to  bid  us  farewell,  with  the  prospect  of  our  being  absent  at 
least  three  months.  A  short  time  before  this,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Edwards  had  returned  from  the  Colony  with  their  lamily 
in  improved  health. 

It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  describe  the  journey  to  tlie 
Bakone  country  with  the  interesting  party  who  thus  entered 
a  new  field  of  scientific  research.  At  the  Molapo  we  were 
met  by  Kalepi,  one  of  Moselekatse's  principal  officers,  who 
conducted  us  to  Mosega,  then  in  possession  of  the  Matahcle, 
where  we  were  cordially  received.  Passing  the  Marikua 
river,  we  arrived  at  the  monarch's  abode  on  tiie  Tolane  riv- 
er, whither  he  had  retired  to  one  of  his  cattle  outposts,  during 
the  preA'alence  of  an  epidemic  in  the  country,  which  of  couise 
appeared  to  him  more  fatal  in  the  large  towns  than  at  a  se- 
questered village.  The  limits  of  my  present  work  will  not 
allow  me  to  quote  from  a  long  journal,  written  during  a  res- 
idence of  two  months  with  Moselekatse.  I  had  intended  to 
accompany  the  Expedition  while  traversing  his  territories, 
but  to  this  he  objected,  urging  that  I  had  gone  there  before, 

*  It  is  very  common  for  cattle  brought  from  a  distance,  to  siilTer  in  this 
way  before  they  become  seasonec]  to  the  climate  and  accustomed  to  the 
pasture.  The  missionaries  in  their  visit  to  Graham's  1'own  and  other 
places  in  the  Colony,  have  been  exposed  to  severe  losses  from  a  similar 
cause. 


380  CURIOUS   CEREMONY. 

and  that  while  he  w'^ould  send  men  to  conduct  Dr.  Smith 
wherever  he  wished  to  go,  he  could  on  no  account  dispense 
with  my  company.  I  was  therefore  constantly  with  him  for 
two  months,  during  which,  he  visited  in  my  wagon  several 
of  his  towns.  Many  opportunities  were  thus  afforded  me 
of  conversing  with  him,  and  obtaining  extensive  information 
concerning  the  character  of  his  people,  the  extent  and  nature 
of  his  despotic  sway,  and  the  most  deplorable  state  of  the 
aborigines,  who  were  either  oppressed  by  slavery,  or  com- 
pelled to  take  refuge  in  the  haunts  of  lions  and  hyenas. 
When  I  brought  these  melancholy  effects  of  his  policy  be- 
fore him,  he  would  reply,  that  they  were  owing  to  the  igno- 
rance and  disobedience  of  his  chief  men,  adding,  that  if 
missionaries  came  to  dwell  with  him,  they  would  prevent 
these  evils  by  teaching  the  people. 

From  the  frequent  conversations  I  had  with  him  and  his 
people  on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  some  of  the  strange 
ceremonies  which  I  witnessed,  it  was  evident  that  though 
they  w^ere  entirely  ignorant  of  the  origin  of  all  things,  and  of 
a  Creator  and  Governor,  they  used  the  name  Morimo* — or 
Molimo  according  to  their  pronunciation — which  they  applied 
not  to  a  being  or  power,  but  to  the  state  of  the  dead,  or  in- 
fluence of  the  manes  of  the  dead.  One  evening  an  ox,  bear- 
ing no  particular  mark,  was  driven  into  the  presence  of  the 
sovereign,  and  kept  before  him  while  he  walked  backward 
and  forward.  It  was  said  he  was  praying,  but  his  prayer 
consisted  of  an  eulogium  on  myself,  and  on  his  own  power 
and  renown,  as  well  as  those  of  his  father  Machobane.  To 
my  inquiries  concerning  their  ideas  on  the  immortality  of  the 
soul,  I  could  obtain  no  satisfactory  answer.  Nevertheless, 
there  appeared  some  reason  to  believe,  that  Moselekatse  had 
an  idea  that  the  spirit  of  Machobane  had  some  influence  on 
his  successes  and  conquests,  though  his  address  was  more 
like  calling  to  mind  his  heroic  deeds,  than  supplicating  his 
aid.  He  also  expressed  himself  in  strong  language,  desiring, 
or  rather  commanding,  that  no  evil  should  befall  me  on  the 
road,  but  tliat  I  should  return  to  my  friends  with  a  heart  as 
white  as  his  own  had  been  made  by  my  visit.  After  a  long 
preamble,  the  ox,  which  had  been  some  time  in  his  presence, 
was  allowed  to  mingle  with  the  herd.  From  all  I  could  see 
in  this  affair,  or  could  hear  of  the  nature  of  their  superstitious 
customs,  many  of  them  similar  to  the  above,  differing  from 
those  of  the  central  tribes,  I  could  not  consider  them  as  idol- 

*  This  being  the  Sechuana  word,  as  I  never  could  discover  that  the 
Zoolus  had  even  the  name  in  their  lano-uase. 


THE   LOST   HORSE.  381 

atry,  or  adoration  of  any  being,  but  ceremonies  that  sorcerers 
had  invented,  or  the  mere  fragments  of  what  had  passed  into 
obhvion.  M.  Casalis,  the  French  missionary,  is  of  the  same 
opinion  with  regard  to  the  Basutos,  among  whom  very  simi- 
lar customs  prevail.  Fie  remarks,  "  The  Basutos  speak  of 
Morimo,  consult  their  rain-makers,  and  their  amulets, 
slaughter  their  victims  without  appearing  to  attach  the  least 
religious  idea  to  these  actions.  '  We  have  learned  this  from 
our  fathers,  but  we  do  not  know  the  reason  of  it.'  This  is 
the  answer  they  make  to  the  questions  which  are  put  to  them 
on  these  subjects.  Perhaps  it  would  facilitate  our  labours 
if  they  had  some  notion  of  this  kind." 

Having  travelled  in  a  circuitous  direction,  we  came  to 
Kurrechane,  or  as  it  is  more  commonly  called,  Chuenyane, 
a  noble  mountain,  in  a  fine,  well-watered  country,  the  boun- 
dary of  Mr.  Campbell's  journey;  but  the  toM^r  which  bore 
the  name  of  the  mountain  was  not  to  be  found  by  my  Mata- 
bele  attendants.  The  number  of  lions  was  fearful  ]  my  old 
and  only  horse  happening  to  wander  from  the  w^agons  in  the 
evening,  I  begged  Moselekatse  to  send  out  some  of  his  men 
to  find  it  if  possible,  as  it  would,  in  all  probability,  be  de- 
voured before  morning.  He  promptly  complied  with  my  re- 
quest, and  as  the  men  passed  my  wagon,  all  inquired  the 
name  of  the  horse  ;  "  Mars,"  was  the  reply.  A  diligent 
search  ensued,  when  they  all  shouted  lustily  for  Mars,  but 
were  compelled  to  make  a  speedy  retreat  owing  to  the  lions. 
When  they  returned  they  said  that  Mars  had  wandered  far, 
or  had  fallen  asleep,  as  he  did  not  reply  !  Of  course  I  gave 
up  all  hope  of  recovering  him;  but  Moselekatse,  to  comfort 
me,  sent  a  message,  "  That  Morimo  would  assuredly  take 
care  of  his  own  servant's  horse."  In  the  morning  the  horse 
w^as  found,  though,  during  the  night,  we  had  heard  the  lions 
roar  from  every  point  of  tlie  compass. 

It  is  a  pleasing,  sometimes  an  exciting  exercise,  to  look 
back  on  the  rugged  path  which  we  have  been  called  to  tread, 
and  to  recount  the  dangers  from  which  a  gracious  Provi- 
dence has  rescued  us.  Some  of  these  have  been  so  striking, 
that  when  I  recall  the  circumstances,  I  am  forcibly  impressed 
with  the  sentiment,  that  "  man  is  immortal  till  his  work  is 
done."  On  the  present  journey,  when  travelling  alone  in  a 
woody  and  sequestered  place,  I  left  the  direct  road  to  avoid 
a  ford,  where  there  were  many  crocodiles.  I  had  not  pro- 
ceeded two  stone  casts,  when  it  suddenly  occurred  to  me, 
that  I  should  like  to  examine  a  projecting  rock  which  lay  be- 
yond the  path  I  had  left.     After  examining  the  object  which 


382  ESCAPE   FROM   A   LION. 

had  attracted  my  attention,  I  turned  towards  the  place 
whence  I  had  come,  in  order  to  retrace  my  steps,  but  saw  a 
hon,  which  had  caught  scent  of  me  on  that  spot,  looking 
about  for  bis  prey.  I  of  course  made  for  the  old  ford,  when, 
after  throwing  in,  as  is  customary,  some  stones  to  frighten 
the  crocodiles  away,  I  hastened  to  the  other  side,  glad  enough 
to  get  the  watery  monsters  between  the  lion  and  myself 
The  lions  in  this  part  of  the  country  having  gorged  on  human 
flesh,  if  hungry,  do  not  spend  time  in  looking  at  the  human 
eye,  as  some  are  said  to  do,  but  seek  the  easiest  and  most 
expeditious  way  of  making  a  meal  of  a  man.* 

In  the  course  of  our  journeys,  Moselekatse  manifested- 
great  anxiety  to  convince  me  that  the  ruined  towns  we 
passed  were  the  remains  of  former  ages,  and  not  the  spolia- 
tions of  his  warriors  ;  and  in  this  instance  -he  was  correct. 
When  we  reached  the  Mosega  Basin,  in  which  one  portion 
of  his  wairiors  dwelt,  among  thirteen  villages,  six  of  which 
were  Bahurutsi,  who  appeared  to  be  tolerably  well  treated, 
he  took  great  pains  to  point  out  this  to  me  as  a  proof  of  the 
benignity  of  his  sway. 

Dr.  Smith  and  party  having  returned  from  one  trip,  I  rode 
to  Tolane,  forty  miles  distant,  and  after  an  interesting  meet- 
ing, and  a  day's  social  converse  with  the  doctor,  I  returned 
to  Mosega,  to  prepare  for  leaving  the  country,  while  the  Ex- 
pedition proceeded  towards  the  tropics.  Flaving  received 
letters  by  messengers  sent  to  the  Kuruman,  including  one 
from  the  American  missionaries,  proposing   to  commence  a 

*  In  one  of  my  early  journeys.  I  had  an  escape  from  an  African  tiger 
and  a  serpent,  no  less  providential.  I  had  left  the  wagons,  and  wandered 
to  a  distance  among  the  coppice  and  grassy  openings  in  quest  of  game. 
I  had  a  small  double-barrelled  gun  on  my  shoulder,  which  was  loaded 
with  a  ball  and  small  shot;  an  antelope  passed,  at  which  I  fired,  and 
slowly  followed  the  course  it  took.  After  advancing  a  short  distance,  I 
saw  a  tiger-cat  staring  at  me  between  the  forked  branches  of  a  tree,  behind 
which  his  long  spotted  body  was  concealed,  twisting  and  turning  his  tail 
like  a  cat  just  going  to  spring  on  its  prey.  I'his  1  knew  was  a  critical 
moment,  not  having  a  shot  of  ball  in  my  gun.  I  moved  about  as  if  in 
search  of  something  on  the  grass,  taking  care  to  retreat  at  the  same  time. 
After  getting,  as  I  thought,  a  suitable  distance  to  turn  my  back,  I  moved 
somewhat  more  quickly,  but  in  my  anxiety  to  escape  what  was  behind,  I 
did  not  see  what  was  before,  until  startled  by  treading  on  a  large  cobra 
de  capello  serpent,  asleep  on  the  grass.  It  instantly  twirled  its  body 
round  my  leg,  on  which  I  had  nothing  but  a  thin  pair  of  trowsers,  when  I 
leaped  from  the  spot,  dragging  the  venomous  and  enraged  reptile  after  me, 
and  while  in  the  act  of  throwing  itself  into  a  position  to  bite,  without 
turning  round,  1  threw  my  piece  over  my  shoulder,  and  shot  it.  I'aking 
it  by  the  tail,  I  brought  it  to  my  people  at  the  wagons,  who,  on  examining 
the  bags  of  poison,  asserted,  that  had  the  creature  bitten  me,  I  could  never 
have  reached  the  wagons.     The  serpent  was  six  feet  long. 


OBSERVATIONS   ON    THE    COTTNTRY.  383 

mission  amono;  the  Matabele,  I  laid  the  subject  before  Mo- 
selekatse,  to  which  he  gave  his  cordial  assent.  Thus,  hav- 
ing settled  every  thing  necessary  respecting  future  measures, 
and  surveyed  the  country  to  find  large  timber  for  the  roof  of 
our  new  place  of  worship,  I  returned  to  the  Kuruman,  to 
record  again  the  goodness  and  mercy  which  had  encom- 
passed me  and  all  the  mission  families  during  my  absence, 
Mrs.  M.'s  health  also  being  much  improved. 

Before  concluding  this  chapter  I  would  only  observe,  that 
the  countries  I  visited  on  the  present  as  well  as  on  my  for- 
mer journey  to  Moselekatse,  are  the  finest  I  have  seen  in 
Southern  Africa,  and  capable  of  supporting  a  dense  popula- 
tion, which  they  evidently  once  did.  The  soil  is  exceedingly 
fertile,  and  minerals  abound.  Iron  ore  lies  scattered  over 
the  surface  of  the  hills,  many  of  which  appear  to  be  entirely 
composed  of  it.  This  ore  the  natives  contrive  with  the 
simplest  apparatus  to  smelt,  and  from  it  they  procure  iron  of 
a  very  superior  quality.  I  have  seen  little  hills  composed 
entirely  of  loadstone,  and  from  experiment  found  that  every 
fragment  possessed  a  north  and  a  south  pole.  Copper  mines 
also  abound,  and  from  some  specimens  I  saw  would  yield 
about  fifty  per  cent.  The  Bakone  country  also  yields  tin. 
The  mines  of  this  metal  I  had  no  opportunity  of  seeing,  but 
the  specimens  of  moruru^  as  it  is  called,  which  I  purcfiased 
from  the  natives,  were  of  the  best  quality.  The  country  of 
the  Bamanguato  and  to  the  east  of  the  great  lake  is  not 
without  timber,  but  water  is  scarce.  The  neighbourhood  of 
the  lake  itself  is  reported  to  be  exceedingly  fertile. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

The  Tract  Society  having  kindly  supplied  ns  with  sixteen 
reams  of  paper,  Mr.  Edwards  had,  during  my  absence,  print- 
ed several  tracts  in  the  language,  translated  by  himself  and 
Mr.  Lemue.  I  had,  on  my  journey,  translated  the  Assejn- 
bly's  Catechism,  and  an  additional  portion  of  the  Scripture 
Lessons;  these  also  were  put  to  the  press,  while  the  work 
of  conversion  was  steadily  advancing  among  the  people,  and 


384  MISSION    RESUMED    AT    MOSEGA. 

the  demand  for  books  rapidly  on  the  increase.  Having,  from 
the  troublous  state  of  the  interior,  failed  in  a  former  attempt 
to  procure  timber  from  the  Bahurutsi,  we  availed  ourselves 
of  the  present  tranquillity,  and  Messrs.  Hamilton  and  Ed- 
wards started  with  men,  and  all  the  wagons,  for  that  purpose  ; 
obtained  the  timber  with  great  labour,  and  what  was  a  no 
less  arduous  task,  brought  it  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles 
in  ox  wagons.  As  tliey  returned  they  met  with  the  Expedi- 
tion at  Mosega.  When  Dr.  Smith*  arrived  at  the  Kuruman, 
he  found  Mrs.  M.  in  such  a  debilitated  state,  that  he  consi- 
dered it  necessary  for  her  to  avoid  the  summer  heat,  by  vi- 
siting the  coast  for  a  few  months.  The  printing  of  the  Scrip- 
ture Lessons  had  been  greatly  retarded  from  the  want  of  pa- 
per, sickness  in  the  mis.sion  families,  and  the  late  journeys ; 
she  M^as  as  reluctant  as  I  could  be  that  it  should  be  longer 
delayed,  and  therefore  cheerfully  undertood  the  journey  with- 
out me,  and  was  absent  seven  months.  She  went  down  to 
Graham's  Town,  under  the  guardianship  of  Mr.  Hume,  a 
trader,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  the  station. 

Early  in  1836,  our  American  brethren,  Messrs.  Lindley, 
Venable.s,  and  Dr.  Wilson,  after  sojourning  a  season  at  Gri- 
qua  Town,  and  on  our  station,  removed  to  Mosega — where, 
after  a  sea.son  of  deep  domestic  affliction,  every  member  of 
the  mission  families,  except  Dr.  Wilson,  taking  a  fever,  of 
which  Mrs.  Wilson  died,  their  prospects  were  unexpectedly 
blasted,  by  an  inroad  of  some  disaffected  farmers,  w4io  had 
located  themselves  on  the  Yellow  River.  It  appears  that 
the  larmers  had  hunted  on  what  Moselekatse  considered  his 
dominions,  and  had  used  some  people  who  acknowledged 
liis  authority  rather  roughly.  This  the  haughty  monarch 
would  not  brook,  and  sent  his  men  more  than  once  to  attack 
them ;  and  on  one  occasion  a  desperate  conflict  ensued,  when 
the  farmers  repulsed  their  assailants,  who,  seizing  the  cattle, 
retired  with  them,  leaving  many  of  their  number  dead  on 
the  spot  where  they  had  intended  to  massacre  the  farmers. 
Exasperated  at  this,  the  latter  came  down  in  a  large  body 
on  the  mission  premises,  in  rather  savage  style  ;  and  there 
being  only  a  handful  of  Matabele  in  the  Mosega  ba.sin,  these 
were  cut  off;  and  the  farmers,  with  the  cattle  they  had  seiz- 

*  Dr.  A.  Smith,  the  head  of  that  Expedition,  is  at  present  in  this  coun- 
try, pubUshing  liis  work  on  South  African  Zoology,  and  intends,  ere 
long,  to  give  to  the  public,  his  Travels,  a  work  which  the  author  has  no 
hesitation  in  asserting  will  prove  an  abundant  source  of  deeply  interest- 
ing scientific  information;  and  to  whom  the  author  is  indebted  for  some 
of  the  sketches  in  this  volume. 


MOSELEKATSE   AND    THE    FARMERS.  S85 

ed,  made  a  precipitate  retreat  to  the  Yellow  or  Orange  Ri- 
ver, taking  with  them  the  American  missionaries,  who  were 
so  dispirited  by  the  effects  of  disease,  as  to  be  scarcely  able 
to  judge  how  they  should  act.  The  latter  were  prevailed  on 
to  leave  their  property  behind,  except  that  which  the  farm- 
ers took  for  their  own  use.  Thus  was  the  mission  to  Mosega 
again  broken  up.  Into  the  merits  of  the  case  we  do  not  pre- 
tend to  enter.  It  was  altogether  a  melancholy  affair,  like 
many  others,  which  have  resulted  from  the  unrestrained 
power  of  the  farmers  who  emigrated  from  the  Colony ;  and 
it  is  deeply  to  be  regretted  that  there  should  have  been 
causes,  either  real  or  alleged,  for  such  a  procedure, 

Moselekatse  was  soon  taught  that  his  shields  could  not  re- 
sist the  balls  of  the  farmers,  who  were  not  Griquas,  whom 
his  tried  warriors  had  hitherto  routed.  To  the  latter  he  had 
the  most  uncontrollable  hatred,  and  supposed  that  all  the 
hordes  on  the  boundaries  of  the  Colony,  and  the  vicinity  of 
the^^range  River,  were  Blooms,  Berends,  and  Bergenaars, 
and  such  as  had  made  unprovoked  attacks  on  his  assumed 
territories.  In  the  last  conversation  I  had  with  him  I  warn- 
ed him  against  a  rupture  with  the  farmers ;  and  as  he  had 
never  heard  of  Waterboer  and  his  people,  I  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  informing  him  tliat  from  them  he  need  apprehend 
no  injury,  as  they  were  such  as  I  could  confidently  recom- 
mend. After  inquiring  about  their  character,  he  very  signi- 
ficantly shook  his  head,  saying,  he  would  trust  no  one  who 
had  not  a  recommendation  or  introduction  from  the  Kuru- 
man.  To  this  engagement  he  remained  faithful,  and  treated 
with  kindness  two  of  our  people  who  had  accompanied  the 
American  brethren,  and  who,  on  the  assault  of  the  farmers, 
escaped  the  balls,  by  concealing  themselves  among  the  reeds 
of  a  neighbouring  stream. 

Moselekatse' s  power  had  reached  its  zenith  ;  for,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  attacks  of  the  farmers,  a  large  commando  from 
Dingaan  came  upon  him  from  the  east,  when  many  of  his 
men  whre  cut  off,  and  great  numbers  of  his  cattle  taken. 
Ov^erwhelmed  by  such  superior  and  unexpected  forces,  he 
fled  to  the  north  ;  and  it  merits  notice,  that  before  his  de- 
parture he  allowed  all  the  captive  Bahurutsi,  Bakhatala,  and 
other  neighbouring  tribes,  to  return  to  their  own  land.  This 
was  a  measure  which  astonished  the  natives,  who  have  since 
congregated  on  the  ancient  domains  of  their  forefathers;  and 
if  no  foreign  power  again  drive  them  from  their  native  glens, 
they  will  ere  long  become  the  interesting  objects  of  mission- 
ary labour. 

33 


386  PROSPECTS   AMONG    THE   BAKONE   TRIBES. 

A  few  missionaries  among  the  Bakone  tribes,  and  an 
effective  native  agency,  would,  under  the  blessing  promised 
to  the  seed  sown,  authorize  us  to  expect  a  rich  harvest  of 
immortal  souls  from  these  rocks  and  plains,  to  grace  the 
triumph  of  the  Redeemer.  Hitherto  our  native  assistants 
have  been  occupied  only  in  their  own  villages ;  but  there  is 
little  doubt  that,  after  the  Gospel  has  been  introduced  to  a 
distant  town  or  tribe  by  the  missionary,  these  assistants  will 
be  enabled,  with  the  help  of  a  comparatively  small  sum,  to 
iollow  him  ;  and,  by  reading,  teaching  to  read,  exhorting,  and 
a  humble,  devout  deportment,  prepare  the  people  for  greater 
advances  in  divine  knowledge,  and  render  them  the  cheerful 
recipients  of  that  civilization  which  the  Gospel  introduces. 
So  fully  M^ere  we  convinced  of  the  value  of  such  auxiliaries, 
that,  as  early  as  1834,  we  found  it  conducive  to  the  interests 
of  the  mission  to  have  recourse  to  native  assistance,  employ- 
ing Aaron  and  Paulo  to  catechize  the  people,  and  lead  on 
inquirers.  In  1837,  some  of  the  influential  young  men  among 
the  Batlaros,  who  were  good  readers,  cheerfully  undertook 
the  task  of  instructing  their  neighbours,  by  holding  service 
and  school.  This  they  did  among  their  own  people,  without 
being  styled  native  teachers,  and  without  stipend  or  reward, 
except  what  the  missionaries  spontaneously  gave  to  encour- 
age them.  The  Bechuana  converts  being  still  in  their  in- 
fancy, we  deemed  it  necessary  to  be  cautious  in  appointing 
official  agents, — it  being  an  acknowledged  principle  that 
novices  are  very  easily  puffed  up ;  and  in  this  respect  my 
colleagues  and  myself  have  seen  no  reason  to  regret  the 
caution  exercised.  Since  that  period  they  have  been  gradu- 
ally advancing  in  Christian  knowledge ;  and  we  consider 
that  there  are  many  who,  with  the  Scriptures  in  their  hands, 
will  be  able  assistants  to  the  missionary  in  carrying  into  effect 
the  evangelization  of  their  countrymen.  The  author  has 
been  much  gratified,  since  his  arrival  in  England,  by  the 
liberality  with  which  several  churches  have  come  forward, 
to  provide  for  a  number  of  such  as  the  missionaries  shall 
deem  competent  to  the  work,  and  this  without  any  appeal 
from  him,  but  merely  from  statements  of  the  importance  of 
such  auxiliaries. 

At  the  Kuruman,  measures  are  in  progress  for  preparing, 
by  a  particular  course  of  instruction,  an  efficient  agency, 
•without  which  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  must  be  tardy  in 
so  large  a  continent,  where  the  tribes  are,  in  many  instances, 
so  far  separated  by  vast  tracts  of  country,  with  httle  water. 
The  necessity  of  such  a  mode  of  procedure  has  been  forced 


ITINERARY   TOUR.  387 

upon  the  judgment  of  the  author  by  his  experience  among 
the  different  tribes  of  South  Africa  for  twenty-three  years. 
He  has  had  demonstration  of  the  evil  arising  from  the  ap- 
pointment of  individuals  who  could  scarcely  read,  and  who 
did  not  comprehend  the  doctrines  they  were  set  up  to  preach. 
It  is  not  surprising  that  some,  with  only  a  small  portion  of 
the  word  of  God  in  their  hands,  and  having  few  opportunities 
of  hearing  the  voice  of  the  missionary,  should  be  found  to 
conceive  wild  notions ;  and  it  therefore  requires  untiring  vigi- 
lance on  the  part  of  the  missionary  to  direct  these  early  na- 
tive efforts  ;  as  errors  propagated  in  the  commencement  of  a 
mission  are  the  most  difficult  to  eradicate.  It  is  not  enough 
that  the  hearts  of  such  agents  are  affected  by  the  constrain- 
ing love  of  Christ ;  they  should  be  men  of  good  natural  un- 
derstandings and  prudence,  and,  at  the  very  least,  good 
readers ;  and  the  more  their  understandings  are  cultivated, 
the  more  efficient  we  may  expect  them  to  be. 

Having  been  repeatedly  requested  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  towns  on  the  Yellow  and  Kolong  Rivers  to  pay  them  a 
visit,  I  left  home  for  that  purpose  near  the  close  of  1836. 
Pursuing  my  course  along  the  Kolong  River,  I  met  large 
congregations  of  attentive  readers ;  and  the  demands  for 
spelling-books  were  beyond  what  I  could  supply.  I  also  vis- 
ited Musis,  one  of  the  Griqua  Town  out-stations,  and  was 
delighted  to  see  the  improvement  made  among  the  Batlapis, 
by  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  labours  of  the  brethren,  Wright 
and  Hughes.  At  Taung,  where  Mahura,  the  brother  of 
Mothibi,  resides,  and  where,  including  the  Bamairis,  there 
was  a  population  of  nearly  twenty  thousand  souls,  I  preached 
to  large  congregations.  As  it  was  well  known  that  I  had 
performed  some  cures,  I  had  some  dozen  of  patients  brought 
to  me  ;  and,  among  others,  a  young  woman,  who,  from  great 
exposure  to  the  sun,  was  slightly  deranged.  It  w^as  most 
gratifying  to  see  the  sympathy  of  the  chief  and  relations  to- 
wards this  afflicted  creature.  Knowing  their  general  treat- 
ment of  such  diseases,  viz.,  to  throw  the  sufferer  into  a  chasm, 
and  cover  him  with  stones,  or  tie  him  to  a  tree,  I  asked  ono 
of  the  roughest  characters  among  the  bystanders  why  they 
had  not  done  so  with  this  woman.  "  We  heard  the  word  of 
God  at  the  Kuruman,"  was  the  reply.*     This  was,  strictly 

*  The  natives,  though  afraid  of  poison,  never  once  suspected  that  the 
missionaries  would  do  them  harm  by  administering  medicine.  They  are 
passionately  fond  of  medicine,  and  of  being  bled,  believing  that  all  dis- 
eases lie  in  the  blood.  I  have  known  individuals,  after  I  had  bound  up 
the  arm,  open  the  orifice,  and  allow  the  blood  to  flow  until  they  faintea. 


388  A   VISIT   TO    MOSHEU. 

speaking,  a  heathen  town  ;  for  though  there  were  a  few  se- 
cret inquirers,  there  were  none  who  made  any  profession, 
although  most  of  them  had  heard  the  voice  of  the  mission- 
ary at  the  Kuruman,  before  they  were  driven  away  by  the 
Bergenaars  j  and  there  had  been  a  constant  intercourse  kept 
up  with  the  station.  Having  finished  my  engagements  at 
this  place,  I  proceeded  to  the  distant  and  isolated  village  of 
Mosheu. 

Before  relating  the  particulars  of  my  visit  to  this  people, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  give  some  account  of  their  chief,  whose 
name  is  Mosheu.  He  is  a  Coranna,  and,  with  his  people, 
lived  in  that  sequestered  part  of  the  country.  When  he  first 
visited  our  station  on  the  Kuruman  in  1834,  with  two  or 
three  attendants  riding  on  oxen,  he  was  to  us  an  entire  stran- 
ger. He  looked  clean,  was  tolerably  well  dressed,  and  had 
a  mild  and  interesting  countenance.  Having  halted  at  my 
door,  he  asked  where  he  should  sleep  or  put  up.  On  inquir- 
ing about  the  object  of  his  visit,  he  replied  that  he  had  come 
to  see  me.  This  was  very  evident,  as  he  very  attentively 
surveyed  my  person.  As  I  had  at  that  time  a  long  black 
beard,  I  thought  that  might  be  one  of  the  objects  of  attrac- 
tion. Having  feasted  his  eyes  on  myself,  the  family,  and 
the  various  strange-looking  articles  constituting  the  furniture 
and  ornaments  of  the  house,  he  retired  for  the  night  to  an 
outhouse,  to  which  he  was  directed  for  that  purpose.  On  a 
person  being  sent  to  offer  him  supper,  we  were  informed  that 
he  had  brought  plenty  of  food  with  him.  This  was  so  unu- 
sual an  occurrence  in  the  conduct  of  visitors,  that  we  were 
rather  puzzled  as  to  his  real  motive.  Indeed  we  had  not 
previously  known  an  instance  of  the  kind  ;  for  all  our  numer- 
ous native  guests,  noble  or  plebian,  from  far  or  near,  were 
always  a  heavy  tax  upon  our  stores.  Whoever  they  might 
be,  they  always  came  as  hungry  as  hawks,  and  expected  to 
be  feasted  by  the  missionary's  bounty.  His  conduct  divested 
us  of  all  suspicion  ;  and  on  the  following  morning  we  could 
not  help  looking  on  him  and  his  attendants  with  more  than 

No  matter  how  nauseous  a  drauglit  may  be,  they  will  lick  their  lips  even 
after  a  dose  of  assafcEtida.  On  one  occasion  1  requested  a  man  at  a  dis- 
tance to  send  some  one  for  medicine.  He  sent  his  wife  ;  and  having  pre- 
pared a  bitter  dose,  I  gave  it  into  her  hand,  directing  her  to  give  it  in  two 
portions,  one  at  sunset,  the  other  at  midnight.  She  made  a  long  face, 
and  begged  hard  that  he  might  take  it  all  at  once,  lest  they  should  fall 
asleep.  I  consented,  when  down  went  the  portion  into  her  stomach,  when 
I  exclaimed,  "It  is  not  for  you."  Licking  her  lips,  she  asked,  with  per- 
fect composure  of  countenance,  if  her  drinking  it  would  not  cure  her 
husband. 


HE    VISITS    THE    STATION.  389 

usual  interest.  As  he  could  understand  the  Sechuana  lan- 
guage, he  heard  a  little  about  the  "  one  thing  needful," 
though  he  appeared  to  listen  to  what  was  said  to  him  on  di- 
vine subjects  without  any  attention.  After  remaining  two 
days,  he  left,  apparently  much  pleased  with  his  visit.  He 
asked  nothing,  but  remarked  on  leaving,  holding  my  hand 
in  his,  "  I  came  to  see  you  ;  my  visit  has  given  me  pleasure  ; 
and  now  I  return  home."  It  was  evident  that  the  visit  of 
this  stranger  was  entirely  one  of  curiosity;  and  I  afterwards 
learned,  that  on  a  journey  to  see  his  friends  on  the  Yellow 
River,  he  had  seen  one  of  the  Wesleyan  missionaries,  which 
probably  gave  rise  to  the  desire  of  visiting  Motito  and  the 
Kuruman. 

After  some  time  he  repeated  his  visit  to  our  station, 
bringing  with  him  a  large  retinue,  which  included  his 
brother,  their  wives,  and  other  relations.  The  journey 
occupied  about  five  days  on  ox-back.  Nothing  could  equal 
our  surprise,  when  we  discovered  that  he  was  not  far  from 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and  that  he  was  striving,  or  rather 
agonizing,  to  enter.  All  the  powers  of  his  soul  seemed 
overwhelmed  with  the  contemplation  of  the  love  of  God. 
He  had  only  to  open  his  lips,  and  his  tears  would  flow ;  his 
experience  was  simple,  and  his  affection  ardent.  When 
asked  the  cause  of  his  sorrow,  he  said,  "  When  I  first  visited 
you  I  had  only  one  heart,  but  now  I  have  come  with  two. 
I  cannot  rest,  my  eyes  will  not  slumber,  because  of  the 
greatness  of  the  things  you  told  me  on  my  first  visit."  It 
was  evident  that  an  especial  blessing  had  descended  on  the 
seed  sown  at  that  time,  though  it  was  little  more  than  the 
outlines  of  Christian  doctrine.  It  also  appeared,  that  during 
his  solitary  ride  across  the  lonely  plains,  his  mind  became 
deeply  interested  in  the  subject.  On  his  arrival  among  his 
own  people,  he  not  only  began  to  teach  them  all  he  had 
heard,  but  he  desired  to  afiect  their  hearts  ;  nor  did  he 
labour  in  vain.  The  efforts  of  this  inquiring  disciple  were 
attended  with  a  blessing.  His  brother,  an  intelligent  man, 
had  evidently  derived  benefit;  while  their  wives,  and  others 
of  his  retinue,  were  so  far  interested  in  the  subject,  as  to 
inquire,  "  What  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  ?"  Their  knowledge 
was  scanty,  and  their  views  very  imperfect,  but  they  believed 
in  the  Divine  Being,  and  that  He  sent  His  Son  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners.  These  truths  were  the  spring  of  their 
emotions,  and  they  thirsted  and  sighed  for  further  instruc- 
tion, and  more  light  on  subjects  of  which  they  possessed  but 
the  glimmering  rays,      Dehghtful  was  our  task  to  pour  into 


390  DESIRE    FOR   INSTRUCTION. 

their  souls  the  hght  of  heaven,  and  direct  them  to  the  Lamb 
of  God.  Their  deportment  was  serious  and  devout,  their 
attendance  on  pubhc  and  private  instruction  incessant  and 
unwearied. 

They  prohmged  their  stay,  and  when  compelled  to  return, 
seemed  anxious  to  linger  a  little  longer.  Their  zeal  and  de- 
votion afforded  a  fine  example  to  others,  and  it  greatly 
cheered  our  own  souls.  The  few  who  could  not  understand 
Sechuana,  were  addressed  through  one  of  our  members,  who 
could  speak  the  Coranna  language.  By  this  n^eans  they 
were  all  instructed,  though,  of  course,  but  partially,  in  all  the 
distingui.shing  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  they  returned 
home  with  hearts  filled  with  joy.  Before  Mosheu  left,  he 
entreated  me  to  visit  his  distant  village.  This,  from  a  mul- 
tiplicity of  engagements,  I  could  not  promise  to  do  soon. 
His  affecting  appeals  and  entreaties,  however,  overcame 
me,  for  holding  my  hand,  and  looking  me  earnestly  in  the 
face,  he  said  again  and  again,  "  Just  look  at  me,  and  try  to 
refuse  me  if  you  can.  There  are  many  at  home  who  cannot 
come  so  far,  and  I  cannot  remember  all  that  I  have  heard  ; 
I  shall  forget  some  on  the  road."  A  considerable  period 
elapsed  before,  from  public  work  on  the  station,  and  from 
translating  and  printing,  I  could  fulfil  my  promise.  Think- 
ing the  time  long,  he  was  on  his  way  with  his  friends  to 
make  another  visit,  but  having  heard  at  Motito  that  I  was 
on  a  tour  which  would  include  his  village,  he  returned,  and 
waited  my  arrival  with  great  anxiety. 

On  reaching  his  village  after  having  travelled  the  whole 
day  over  a  rough  and  bushy  country,  and  walked  much,  I 
was  fit  only  to  throw  myself  down  to  sleep.  The  moment 
I  entered  the  village,  the  hue-and-cry  was  raised,  and  old 
and  j'oung,  mother  and  children,  came  running  together  as 
if  it  were  to  see  some  great  prodigy.  I  received  an  affec- 
tionate welcome,  and  many  a  squeeze,  while  about  five  hun- 
dred human  beings  were  thrusting  themselves  forward,  each 
exerting  himself  to  the  utmost  of  his  power,  to  get  a  shake 
of  the  hand.  Some,  who  scarcely  touched  it,  trembled  as 
if  it  had  been  the  paw  of  a  lion.  It  was  nearly  midnight 
before  they  would  disperse,  but  their  departure  was  a  great 
relief  to  a  wearied  man,  for  their  exclamations  of  surprise 
and  their  bawling  out  to  one  another  in  two  languages,  was 
any  thing  but  melodious.  On  awaking  from  a  short  sleep, 
and  emerging  from  my  canopy,  before  my  eyes  were  tho- 
roughly open,  I  was  astonished  to  find  a  congregation  wait- 
ing before  the  wagon,  and  at  the   same  moment  some  indi- 


EAGERNESS    TO    HEAR    THE    GOSPEL.  391 

viduals  started  off  to  different  parts  of  the  village  to  an- 
nounce my  appearance.  All  hastened  to  the  spot ;  I  con- 
fess I  was  more  in(,'lined  to  take  a  cup  of  coffee  than  to 
preach  a  sermon,  for  I  still  felt  the  fatigues  of  the  preceding 
day.  I  took  my  Testament  and  a  hymn-book,  and  with 
such  singers  as  I  had,  gave  out  a  hymn,  read  a  chapter,  and 
prayed ;  then  taking  the  text,  "  God  so  loved  the  world," 
etc.,  discoursed  to  them  for  about  an  hour.  Great  order  and 
profound  silence  were  maintained.  The  scene  was  in  the 
centre  of  the  village,  composed  of  Bechuana  and  Coranna 
houses,  and  cattle-folds.  Some  of  these  contained  the  cat- 
tle, sheep,  and  goats,  while  other  herds  were  strolling  about. 
At  a  distance  a  party  were  approaching  riding  on  oxen.  A 
few  strangers  drew  near  with  their  spears  and  shields,  w4io, 
on  being  beckoned  to,  instantly  laid  them  down.  The  na- 
tive dogs  could  not  understand  the  strange  looking  beins:  on 
the  front  of  the  wagon,  holding  forth  to  a  gazing  throng,  and 
they  would  occasionally  break  the  silence  with  their  bark, 
for  which,  however,  they  sufiered  the  penalty  of  a  stone  or 
stick  hurled  at  their  heads.  Two  milk  maids,  who  had  tied 
their  cows  to  posts,  stood  the  whole  time  with  their  milking 
vessels  in  their  hands,  as  if  afraid  of  losing  a  single  sentence. 
The  earnest  attention  manifested  exceeded  any  thing  I  had 
ever  before  witnessed,  and  the  countenances  of  some  indi- 
cated strong  mental  excitement.  The  majority  of  my  hear- 
ers were  Bechuanas,  and  but  few  of  the  Corannas  could  not 
understand  the  same  language. 

After  service,  I  walked  to  an  adjoining  pool  in  the  bed  of 
the  river  to  refresh  myself  with  a  wash,  hoping  on  my  return 
to  get  something  like  a  breakfast,  but  found,  owing  to  some 
mistake,  that  the  kettle  was  not  boiling.  The  people  were 
again  assembling,  and  again  requested  me  to  preach.  On 
begging  half  an  hour  for  refreshment,  the  chief's  wife  hobbled 
off  to  her  house,  and  immediately  returned  with  a  large 
wooden  vessel  full  of  sour  milk,  saying,  with  a  smile  on  her 
countenance,  "  There,  drink  away,  drink  much,  and  you  w^ill 
be  able  to  speak  long."  Having  cheerfully  accepted  this 
hasty  African  breakfast,  I  resumed  my  station,  and  preached 
a  second  time  to,  if  possible,  a  still  more  attentive  congrega- 
tion. When  I  had  concluded,  my  hearers  divided  into  com- 
panies, to  talk  the  subject  over,  but  others,  more  inquisitive, 
plied  me  with  questions.  While  thus  engaged,  my  attention 
was  arrested  by  a  simple  looking  young  man  at  a  short  dis- 
tance, rather  oddly  attired.  He  wore  what  was  once  a  pair 
of  trowsers,  with  part  of  one  leg  still  remaining.     For  a  hat 


392  ANXIETY  TO  LEARN  TO  READ. 

he  had  part  of  the  skin  of  a  zebra's  head,  with  the  ears  at- 
tached, and  something  not  less  fantastic  about  his  neck.  1 
had  noticed  this  grotesque  figure  before,  but  such  sights  are 
by  no  means  uncommon,  as  the  natives  will  hang  any  thing 
about  their  bodies,  either  for  dress  or  ornament,  without  the 
slightest  regard  to  appearance.  The  person  referred  to  was 
holding  forth  with  great  animation  to  a  number  of  people, 
who  were  all  attention.  On  approaching,  I  found,  to  my 
surprise,  that  he  was  preaching  my  sermon  over  again,  with 
uncommon  precision,  and  with  great  solemnity,  imitating  as 
nearly  as  he  could  the  gestures  of  the  original.  A  greater 
contrast  could  scarcely  be  conceived  than  the  fantastic  figure 
I  have  described,  and  the  solemnity  of  his  language,  his  sub- 
ject being  eternity,  while  he  evidently  felt  what  he  spoke. 
Not  wishing  to  disturb  him,  I  allowed  him  to  finish  the  re- 
cital, and  seeing  him  soon  after,  told  him  that  he  could  do 
what  I  was  sure  I  could  not,  that  was,  preach  again  the 
same  sermon  verbatim.  He  did  not  appear  vain  of  his  supe- 
rior memory.  "  When  I  hear  any  thing  great,"  he  said, 
touching  his  forehead  with  his  finger,  "  it  remains  there." 
This  young  man  died  in  the  faith  shortly  after,  before  an  op- 
portunity was  afibrded  him  of  making  a  public  profession. 

In  the  evening,  after  the  cows  were  milked,  and  the  herds 
had  laid  themselves  down  in  the  folds  to  chew  the  cud,  a 
congregation,  for  the  third  time,  stood  before  my  wagon. 
The  bright  silvery  moon,  holding  her  way  through  a  cloud- 
less starry  sky,  and  shining  on  many  a  sable  face,  made  the 
scene  pecuharly  solemn  and  impressive,  while  the  deepest 
attention  was  paid  to  the  subject,  which  Avas  the  importance 
of  rehgion  illustrated  by  Scripture  characters.  After  the 
service,  they  lingered  about  the  wagon,  making  many  in- 
quiries, and  repeating  over  and  over  again  what  they  had 
heard.  Mosheu  very  kindly  presented  a  sheep  the  evening 
before  for  myself  and  people,  and  the  wives  took  care  that 
we  should  not  want  milk.  It  had  been  a  day  of  incessant 
speaking,  and  at  a  late  hour  I  was  thankful  to  retire  to  rest 
with  the  hum  of  voices  around  the  wagon. 

The  following  day,  Monday,  was  no  less  busy,  for  though 
the  wind  was  very  high,  so  as  to  prevent  a  public  service  in 
the  morning,  I  was  engaged  addressing  different  parties  at 
their  own  dwellings,  and  teaching  them  to  read.  They 
thought  that  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  indeed  to  be  able  to 
read  books  in  common  with  myself,  and  supposing  that  there 
was  some  royal  road  to  learning,  they  very  simply  imagined 
the  art  could  be  acquired  by  a  single  exertion  of  the  mental 


"  AULD    LANG    SYNE."  393 

energies,  or  by  some  secret  charm  which  they  thought  I 
might  possess.  I  had  administered  medicine  to  some  few 
sick,  and  one  who  was  seriously  ill  derived  much  benefit 
from  having  a  quantity  of  blood  taken  from  her  arm ;  and  as 
doctors  among  the  Bechuanas  generally  unite  physic  and 
charms,  they  very  naturally  thought  that  I  might  be  able  to 
charm  the  knowledge  of  reading  into  their  heads.  I  also 
addressed  those  who  knew  only  the  Coranna  language 
through  an  interpreter.  When  another  deeply  interesting 
evening  service  had  closed,  the  people  seemed  resolved  to 
get  all  out  of  me  they  could.  All  would  learn  to  read  there 
and  then.  A  few  remaining  .spelling-books  were  sought  out, 
and  the  two  or  three  young  people  I  had  with  me  were  each 
enclosed  witliin  a  circle  of  scholars  all  eager  to  learn.  Some 
were  compelled  to  be  content  with  only  shouting  out  the 
names  of  the  letters,  which  were  rather  too  small  to  be  seen 
by  the  whole  circle,  with  only  the  light  of  the  moon.  While 
this  rather  noisy  exercise  Avas  going  on,  some  of  the  principal 
men  with  whom  I  was  conversing,  thought  they  would  also 
try  their  skill  in  this  new  art. 

It  was  now  late,  and  both  mind  and  body  were  jaded,  but 
nothing  would  satisfy  them  ;  I  must  teach  them  also.  After 
a  search,  I  found,  among  some  waste  paper,  a  large  sheet 
alphabet,  with  a  corner  and  two  letters  torn  off  This  was 
laid  down  on  the  ground,  when  all  knelt  in  a  circle  round  it, 
and  of  course  the  letters  were  viewed  by  some  standing  just 
upside  down.  I  commenced  pointing  with  a  stick,  and  when 
I  pronounced  one  letter,  all  hallooed  out  to  some  purpose. 
When  I  remarked  that  perhaps  we  might  manage  with  some- 
what le.ss  noise,  one  replied,  he  was  sure  the  louder  he  roar- 
ed, the  sooner  would  his  tongue  get  accustomed  to  the 
"  seeds,"  as  he  called  the  letters.  As  it  was  growing  late, 
I  rose  to  straighten  my  back,  which  was  beginning  to  tire, 
when  I  observed  some  young  folks  coming  dancing  and  skip- 
ping towards  me,  who,  without  any  ceremony,  seized  hold 
of  me.  "  Oh,  teach  us  the  ABC  with  music,"  every  one 
cried,  giving  me  no  time  to  tell  them  it  was  too  late,  I 
found  they  had  made  this  discovery  through  one  of  my  boys. 
There  were  presently  a  dozen  or  more  surrounding  me,  and 
resistance  was  out  of  the  question.  Dragged  and  pushed,  I 
entered  one  of  the  largest  native  houses,  which  was  instantly 
crowded. 

The  tune  of  "  Auld  lang  syne  "  was  pitched  to  A  B  C, 
each  succeeding  round  was  joined  by  succeeding  voices  till 
every  tongue  was  vocal,   and  every  countenance  beamed 


894  PREPARATIONS  FOR  DEPARTURE. 

with  heartfelt  satisfaction.  The  longer  they  sang  the  more 
freedom  was  felt,  and  Aidd  lang  syne  was  echoed  to  the 
farthest  corner  of  the  village.  The  strains  which  infuse 
pleasurable  emotions  into  the  sons  of  the  north,  were  no  less 
potent  among  these  children  of  the  South,  Those  who  had 
retired  to  their  evening's  slumbers,  supposing  that  we  were 
holding  a  night  service,  came ;  "  for  music,"  it  is  said, 
"charms  the  savage  ear."  It  certainly  does,  particularly 
the  natives  of  Southern  Africa,  who,  however  degraded  they 
may  have  become,  still  retain  that  refinement  of  taste,  which 
enables  them  to  appreciate  those  tunes  which  are  distin- 
guished by  melody  and  softness.  After  two  hours'  singing 
and  puffing,  I  obtained  permission,  though  with  some  diffi- 
culty of  consent,  and  greater  of  egress,  to  leave  them,  now 
comparatively  proficient.  It  was  between  two  and  three  in 
the  morning.  Worn  out  in  mind  and  body,  I  lay  myself 
down  in  my  wagon,  cap  and  shoes  and  all,  just  to  have  a 
few  hour's  sleep,  preparatory  to  departure  on  the  coming 
day.  As  the  "music  hall"  was  not  far  from  my  pillow, 
there  was  little  chance  of  sleeping  soundly,  for  the  young 
amateurs  seemed  unwearied,  and  A  B  C  to  Auld  lang  syne 
went  on  till  I  was  ready  to  wish  it  at  John-o'-Groat's  house. 
The  company  at  length  dispersed,  and  awaking  in  tlie  morn- 
ing after  a  brief  repose,  I  was  not  a  little  surpri.^ed  to  hear 
the  old  tune  in  every  corner  of  the  village.  The  maids 
milking  the  cows,  and  the  boys  tending  the  calves,  were 
humming  their  alphabet  over  again. 

Before  my  departure  I  collected  the  people  once  more, 
and  gave  them  some  general  directions  how  to  act  in  their 
isolated  position,  so  as  to  benefit  by  what  they  had  heard  ; 
recommending,  if  it  were  quite  im})racticable  for  them,  as  a 
body,  to  remove  to  the  vicinity  of  a  missionary  station,  to 
visit  either  ours  at  the  Kuruman,  or  that  at  Motito,  and  both 
when  convenient,  and  concluded  by  strongly  pressing  on  the 
minds  of  all,  the  importance  of  accjuiring  the  knowledge  of 
reading,  and  urging  the  Corannas  to  acquire  the  Sechuana 
language.  While  here  I  received  a  message  from  a  distant 
Coranna  village,  in  the  form  of  a  memorial,  from  the  chiefs 
and  people,  to  go  and  stay  some  time  with  them,  and  make 
books  in  their  language,  as  I  had  done  in  the  Sechuana. 
From  these  messengers  I  could  gather,  that  they  supposed 
that  to  reduce  their  click-clack  language  into  writing,  and  to 
make  books,  would  be  the  work  of  only  a  few  days.  This 
induced  me  to  be  the  more  earnest  with  those  who  were  liv- 
ing in  contact  with  the  Bechuanas,  and  had  become  partial- 


DEPARTURE.  395 

ly  acquainted  with  their  language,  to  cultivate  the  same  with 
increasing  diligence. 

Having  made  all  necessary  arrangements,  I  departed. 
The  whole  population  of  the  village  accompanied  me  to  a 
considerahle  distance,  when  they  all  stood  gazing  after  me 
till  my  Avagon  was  concealed  from  their  view  by  a  thicket 
of  acacias.  The  solitary  ride  afforded  time  for  reflection, 
and  improvement  of  the  past.  I  felt  my  heart  overflow  with 
gratitude  for  what  God  had  permitted  me  to  witness  dui:ing% 
those  three  days.  I  felt  assured  some  good  had  been  done, 
and  it  has  often  afforded  pleasurable  emotions  to  look  back 
on  the  dawn  of  the  emergence  of  immortal  beings  from  the 
moral  darkness  of  many  generations. 

Mosheu  and  his  people  made  very  pleasing  advances  in 
Christian  knowledge,  and  so  eager  were  they  to  benefit  by 
the  instructions  of  the  missionaries,  that  at  a  considerable 
sacrifice  of  time  and  comfort,  they  made  frequent  journeys 
to  the  Kuruinan.  It  was  an  interesting  spectacle  to  see 
forty  or  lifty  men,  women,  and  children,  coming  over  the 
plain,  all  mounted  on  oxen,  and  bringing  with  them  a  num- 
ber of  milch  cows,  that  they  might  not  be  too  burdensome, 
either  to  the  missionaries  or  the  people.  Their  object  was 
to  obtain  instruction ;  and  they  would  remain  at  Motito  and 
the  Kuruman  for  more  than  two  months  at  a  time,  dihgently 
attending  to  all  the  opportunities  afforded  ;  and  Andries,  the 
brother  of  Mosheu,  being  the  more  talented  individual,  Mas 
soon  after  appointed  schoolmaster,  and  under  his  humble 
and  devoted  labours  they  made  wonderful  progress.  What 
they  valued  for  themselves  they  were  anxious  to  secure  to 
their  children,  and  Mosheu  left  his  daughter  to  the  care  of 
Mrs.  Moffat,  for  education,  M'hile  Andries  committed  his  son 
to  that  of  Mr.  Lemue,  at  Motito,  both  of  whom  made  most 
satisfactory  progress,  not  only  in  reading  and  writing,  but 
the  daughter  in  needlework,  and  in  general  domestic  em- 
ployments. On  her  return  from  Cape  Town,  when  the 
author  came  to  England,  she  died  of  the  measles,  after 
giving  most  pleasing  evidence  that  she  was  prepared  for  the 
great  change.  Mr.  Lemue,  who  visited  her  father's  village 
shortly  after  this  event,  remarks  in  a  letter,  how  forcibly  his 
mind  was  struck  with  the  mighty  change  Christianity  had 
produced  on  a  people  who,  when  sorrowing  without  hope 
would  have  revolted  at  the  idea  of  visiting  a  spot  where  the 
remains  of  a  dear  relative  lay,  but  who  could  now,  looking 
forward  to  immortality,  sit  on  the  grave  of  one  beloved,  and 
with  hallowed  pleasure  talk  of  the  "rest  that  remains  for  the 


396  THE    POWER    OF   PACIFIC    PRINCIPLES. 

people  of  God,"  and  the  certain  prospect  of  meeting  her  in 
the  heavenly  world. 

In  consequence  of  the  locality  of  Mosheu's  people,  the 
distance  from  our  station  being  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
they  have  been  given  over  to  the  Paris  Society,  and  a  mis- 
sionary went  a  year  ago  to  reside  among  them.  To  this 
brief  detail,  the  following  fact  may  be  added,  which  has  been 
communicated  since  my  visit  to  England.  This  little  Chris- 
^tiaij  band  had  met,  on  a  sabbath  morning,  with  the  people 
in  the  centre  of  the  village,  to  hold  the  early  prayer-meeting 
before  the  services  of  the  day.*  They  were  scarcely  seated, 
when  a  party  of  marauders  approached  from  the  interior, 
whither  they  had  gone  for  plunder,  and  not  having  succeeded 
to  their  wishes,  had  determined  to  attack  this  Coranna 
village  on  their  return.  Mosheu  arose,  and  begged  the 
people  to  sit  still  and  trust  in  Jehovah,  while  he  went  to  meet 
the  marauders.  To  his  inquiry,  what  they  wanted,  the 
appalhng  reply  was,  "  Your  cattle  ;  and  it  is  at  your  peril 
you  rai.se  a  weapon  to  resist."  "There  are  my  cattle," 
replied  the  chief,  and  then  retired  and  resumed  his  position 
at  the  prayer-meeting.  A  hymn  was  sung,  a  chapter  read, 
and  then  all  kneeled  in  prayer  to  God,  who  only  could  save 
them,  in  their  distresses.  The  sight  was  too  sacred  and 
solemn  to  be  gazed  on  by  such  a  band  of  ruffians :  they  all 
withdrew  from  the  spot,  without  touching  a  single  article 
belonging  to  the  people. 

Before  closing  the  account  of  the  Bechuana  mission,  it 
will  be  proper  to  state,  that  during  the  years  1837,  1838,  a 
rich  blessing  descended  on  the  labours  of  the  brethren  at 
home,  at  the  out-stations,  and,  indeed,  at  every  place  where 
the  Gospel  M^as  read  and  preached.  Large  additions  of 
Bechuanas  to  the  church  at  Griqua  Town  have  already 
been  noticed  ]  and  in  1838,  great  accessions  were  made  to 
that  of  the  Kuruman.  Under  the  very  efficient  and  assidu- 
ous superintendance  of  Mr.  Edwards,  the  number  of  readers 
connected  with  the  mission  had  increased  in  equal  ratio  ; 
while  the  Infant  School,  commenced  and  carried  on  by  Mr.s. 
Edwards,  with  the  assistance  of  a  native  girl,  gave  the  high- 
est satisfaction.  The  people  made  rapid  advances  in  civili- 
zation ;  some  purchasing  wagons,  and  breaking  in  their 
oxen  for  those  labours    which    formerly    devolved   on   the 

♦  When  Andries  was  once  asked  by  the  author  how  they  spent  the 
sabbath,  he  replied  with  great  simpHcity,  "  We  read  much  in  God's  word, 
and  pray  and  .sing,  and  read  again,  and  again,  and  again,  and  explain  what 
we  know  to  those  who  do  not  understand  the  Sechuana  language." 


A    MERCHANT    SETTLES    ON    THE    STATION.  397 

female  sex.  The  use  of  clothing  became  so  general,  that  the 
want  of  a  merchant  was  greatly  felt,  to  supply  the  demands 
f)r  British  commodities.  This  induced  us  to  invite  Mr.  D. 
Hume,  in  whom  we  placed  implicit  confidence,  who  had 
already  traded  much  with  the  natives,  and  travelled  a  great 
distance  into  the  interior,  to  take  up  his  constant  abode  on 
the  station  for  that  purpose.  He  built  himself  a  house,  and 
the  measure  has  succeeded  beyond  our  expectations,  Mr. 
H.  had  also  rendered  a  very  considerable  amount  of  gratu- 
itous labour,  in  assisting  the  late  Mr.  Hugh  Millen  in  raising 
tlie  walls  of  the  chapel,  and  subsequently  in  finishing  it. 
The  place  of  worship  was  so  far  in  readiness,  that  it  was 
opened  in  November,  1838  This  was  a  deeply  interesting 
season  to  all,  and  especially  to  the  missionaries  and  the 
church  which  has  been  gathered  from  among  the  heathen. 
Between  eight  and  nine  hundred  entered  those  walls,  now 
sacred  to  the  service  of  Jehovah.  A  deep  sense  of  the  Divine 
presence  was  felt  during  the  services  on  that  memorable  oc- 
casion. The  Rev.  P.  Lemue,  of  Motito,  took  part  with  the 
resident  missionaries  in  the  solemnities.  In  the  afternoon 
of  the  following  sabbath,  one  hundred  and  fifty  members 
united  in  commemorating  the  dying  love  of  Him  who  had 
redeemed  them  by  his  blood,  and  brought  them,  by  his  pro- 
vidence and  grace,  from  tribes — some  very  distant — to  par- 
ticipate in  the  heavenly  banquet.  Many,  with  eyes  suffused 
with  tears,  compared  their  present  happy  condition  with  the 
ignorance  and  degradation  from  which  they  had  been  gra- 
ciously delivered.  The  church  has  since  increased  to  two 
hundred  and  thirty. 

Mothibi,  the  chief  of  the  Batlapis,  had  long  turned  a  deaf 
ear  to  the  invitations  of  the  Gospel,  and  his  declining  years 
and  fading  faculties  led  us  to  fear  that  he  was  following  some 
of  his  contemporaries  who  had  died  without  hope,  after 
having  possessed  abundant  means  of  becoming  wise  unto 
salvation.  By  a  letter,  however,  lately  received  from  Mr. 
Edwards,  we  have  the  following  delightful  intelligence, 
which  cannot  fail  to  proclaim  to  all  the  potency  of  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel  to  one  who  was  truly  subdued  by  it  in  the 
eleventh  hour.  Two  of  liis  sons,  with  their  wives,  were 
already  members  of  the  church  :  and  Mahuto,  his  wife,  was 
some  years  ago  baptized  by  the  Griqua  Missionaries. 

"  IMothibi,  our  old  king,  feeble  from  age,  stood  forth  with  others  to 
make  a  public  profession  of  his  faith,  by  being  baptized.  He  has  for 
some  time  been  reckoned  among  the  dead  ;  his  people  viewing  him  as 
one  of  the  past  generation.     1  had  heard,  a  few  months  before  he  Isist 

34 


398  MOTHIBl's    EXPERIENCE. 

visited  us,  that  he  was  becoming  much  concerned  about  the  state  of  his 
soul,  and  could  no  longer  conceal  his  fears,  which  only  increased  the 
longer  he  kept  silent.  Being  quite  overwhelmed,  he  made  known  his 
alarm  to  the  believers,  and  requested  their  counsel  and  sympathy.  Mo- 
risjanyane,  the  native  reader  at  his  residence,  was  made  useful  to  him. 
Mothibi  at  length  urgently  entreated  his  sons  'to  take  him  to  Kuruman, 
to  see  his  own  missionaries :'  immediately  on  his  arrival,  he  bent  his 
feeble  steps  to  the  mission  house.  Never  before,  I  believe,  did  he  visit  a 
missionary  with  so  much  anxiety  and  diffidence.  I  found  him  not 
inclined  to  speak  much,  but  rather  to  hear  what  might  be  said  to  him. 
He  said,  however,  that  'he  had  come  to  speak  about  his  soul — that  be 
was  an  old  man,  great  from  age,  but  without  understanding :  there  is 
rothing  left,'  he  exclaimed,  'but  my  old  bones  and  withered  skin;  I 
heard  'the  word"  from  the  beginning  (twenty-five  years  ago,)  but  never 
understood,  and  now  have  no  rest  night  nor  day  ;  my  soul  is  sorrowful, 
and  burning  with  anguish ;  my  heart  is  sick,  and  rises  into  my  throat ; 
my  mind  is  dark,  and  my  memory  cannot  retain  the  good  word  ;  but 
though  it  forsakes  me,  it  does  me  good  ;  it  leaves  something  behind  in  my 
soul,  which  I  cannot  explain,  but  which  causes  me  to  hope.  I  wish  to 
cast  myself  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  the  Son  of  God,  in  hope  and  expectation 
that  he  will  have  mercy  on  me.  I  feel  that  it  will  be  my  wisdom  to  sit  at 
the  feet  of  believers,  who  are  grown  to  manhood  in  knowledge,  to  be  ever 
instructed  by  them  in  the  paths  of  duty  and  salvation.' 

"  On  inquiring  among  those  who  had  observed  him  of  late,  I  found  that 
they  all  thought  favourably  of  him,  for  they  had  seen  him  weep  repeat- 
edly over  his  sins,  and  his  lost  state  as  a  sinner.  He  expressed  ardent 
desires  to  live  and  die  at  the  feet  of  Christ,  and  to  be  united  to  his  people; 
and  there  being  no  scriptural  objection,  he  was  proposed,  and  received  by 
the  church  in  this  place.  Though  the  rightful  chief  of  20,000  Bechuanas, 
Mothibi  stood  with  as  much  humility,  as  others  of  his  people  beside  him, 
whom  he  formerly  considered  as  his  'servants'  or  'dogs,'  to  receive  the 
ordinance  of  baptism.  He  may  not  be  a  bright  star  among  the  believers, 
but  if  enabled  to  follow  up  his  desire,  'to  live  and  die  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,' 
though  he  go  halting  the  few  remaining  days  of  his  life,  he  will  be  at  last 
received  to  glory,  a  monument  of  what  grace  can  do  even  in  the  eleventh 
hour." 

In  reference  to  this  pleasing  event,  Mr.  Hamilton  remarks, 
"  Things  are  now  coming  to  close  quarters.  The  surround- 
ing heathen  chiefs  are  in  a  state  of  consternation,  at  the 
father  of  their  cause  emhracing  the  faith,  and  becoming  a 
little  child  in  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  and  on  being  assured 
that  this  is  really  the  case,  shake  their  heads  as  mournfully 
as  if  he  were  dead." 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  some  of  the  heathen  chiefs, 
upwards  of  one  hundred  miles  distant,  are  opposed  to  the 
introduction  of  the  Gospel  among  their  people,  though  they 
view  missionaries  as  their  benefactors,  receive  them  with 
civility,  and  attend  upon  their  rriinistry ;  when,  at  the  same 
time,  those  of  more  distant  tribes  are  anxiously  desiring  to 
have  missionaries  both  for  themselves  and  their  people.  To 
us  this  is  not  at  all  surprising,  the  latter  being  sensible  only 
of  the  temporal  benefits  enjoyed  by  those  who  have  received 


THE    BASUTO    MISSION.  399 

the  Gospel,  but  comparatively  ignorant  of  the  strict  require- 
ments of  the  word  of  God ;  while  such  as  live  nearer,  and 
have  mingled  with  Christians,  often  have  the  enmity  of  their 
carnal  hearts  aroused  by  witnessing  the  havoc  it  makes 
among  their  heathenish  customs  and  darling  sins,  without 
having:  tasted  tlie  blessedness  of  being  turned  from  them  to 
serve  the  living  God,* 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

Having  already  exceeded  the  limits  of  the  present  work? 
the  Author  feels  it  necessary  to  confine  the  different  subjects 
on  which  he  intended  to  dilate  within  a  very  narrow  com- 
pass. It  is  with  the  greatest  satisfaction  he  refers  to  the 
French  and  Wesleyan  brethren  in  the  Basuto  country, 
south-east  of  the  Kuruman,  whose  labours  have  been  abun- 
dantly blessed,  not  only  in  that  district,  but  to  the  borders  of 
the  Colony.  Mosheshe,  king  of  the  Basutos,  had  long 
desired  to  receive  a  missionary,  in  order  to  procure  for  his 
subjects  those  advantages  which  he  had  heard  other  tribes 
had  derived  from  the  residence  of  a  missionary  among  them. 
After  long  reflection,  in  1833,  he  sent  two  hundred  oxen  to 
some  of  his  servants,  ordering  them  to  go  and  find  the  great 
chief  of  the  white  people,  and  obtain  from  him,  in  exchange 
for  the  cattle,  men  capable  of  instructing  his  subjects.  His 
servants  obeyed  •  but,  after  a  few  days'  march,  they  fell  in 
WMth  some  Corannas,  who  deprived  them  of  their  cattle. 
This  adverse  circumstance  did  not  discourage  Mosheshe ; 
for,  having  heard  that  a  Griqua  from  our  missionary  station 
-at  Philippolis  was  hunting  in  his  dominions,  he  sent  for  him, 
inquired  respecting  the  object  and  labours  of  the  mission- 
aries, and  entreated  the  stranger's  assistance  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  wishes.  This  was  promised  ;  and  on  the 
Griqua's  return  to  Philipolis,  he  related  the  affair  to  his  mis- 
sionary ;  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  just  at  this  junc- 

♦  Mr.  Edwards  accompanied  by  one  of  the  younger  missionaries  has 
lately  gone  into  the  interior,  with  the  prospect  of  commencing  a  mission 
among  the  Bakone  tribes. 


400  THE    SPEECH    OF    MOSHESHE. 

ture  three  missionaries  from  the  Paris  Society  arrived  at  the 
station.  They  were  on  their  way  to  the  Bechuanas  beyond 
the  Kuruman ;  but,  on  learning  this  circumstance,  they 
could  not  but  consider  it  as  an  unequivocal  call,  which  they 
were  bound  to  obey.  That  was  a  part  of  the  country  which 
had  been  but  little  traversed  by  Europeans,  and  had  been 
made  the  theatre  of  crime  and  bloodshed  by  the  Bergenaars. 
The  brethren  arrived  in  July,  1833,  when  Mosheshe  gave 
them  a  most  friendly  reception,  and  assisted  in  selecting  a 
suitable  spot  for  a  mission  station,  which  they  called  Morija. 
Messrs.  Casalis,  Arbousset,  and  Gosselin,  commenced  this 
important  mission,  and  they  now  exert  an  influence  over  at 
least  twelve  thousand  souls.  Public  worship  is  well  attended, 
and  the  Sabbath  punctually  observed,  by  those  of  the  people 
who  make  a  profession  of  the  Christian  religion.  The  unre- 
mitting and  self-denying  labours  of  these  valuable  men  have 
been  remarkably  blessed,  and  their  hands  have  been  strength- 
ened by  additional  labourers  from  the  same  Society.  Tliey 
have  translated  portions  of  the  word  of  life  into  the  native 
language.  The  influence  exerted  by  Mosheshe  over  the 
minds  of  the  people  has  been  a  most  effective  auxiliary  to 
the  labours  of  our  brethren.  The  following  remarks,  in  a 
speech  of  his,  taken  from  the  journal  of  J.  Backhouse,  Esq., 
who  himself  heard  it,  Avill  show  that  he  is  a  man  of  consider- 
able talent: — 

"  Rejoice,  you  Makare  and  Mokatchani !  you  rulers  of  cities,  rejoice ! 
We  have  all  reason  to  rejoice  on  account  of  the  news  we  have  heard. 
There  are  a  great  many  sayings  among  men.  Among  them  some  are 
true,  and  some  are  false;  but  the  false  have  remained  with  us,  and  mul- 
tiplied; therefore  we  ought  to  pick  up  carefully  the  truths  we  hear,  le?t 
they  should  be  lost  in  the  rubbish  of  lies.  We  are  told  that  we  have  all 
been  created  by  one  Being,  and  that  we  all  spring  from  one  man.  Sin 
entered  man's  heart  when  he  ate  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  we  have  got  sin 
from  him.  These  men  say  that  they  have  sinned;  and  what  is  sin  in 
them  is  sin  in  us,  because  we  come  from  one  stock,  and  their  hearts  and 
ours  are  one  thing.  Ye  Makare  have  heard  these  words,  and  you  say 
they  are  lies.  If  these  words  do  not  conquer,  the  fault  will  lie  with  you. 
You  say  you  will  not  believe  what  you  do  not  understand.  Look  at  an 
egg  !  If  a  man  break  it,  there  comes  only  a  watery  and  yellow  substance 
out  of  it;  but  if  it  be  placed  under  the  wings  of  a  fowl,  there  comes  a 
living  thing  from  it.  Who  can  understand  this  1  Who  ever  knew  how 
the  heat  of  the  hen  produced  the  chicken  in  the  egg.  This  is  incompre- 
hensible to  us,  yet  we  do  not  deny  the  fact.  Let  us  do  like  the  hen. 
Let  us  place  these  truths  in  our  hearts,  as  the  hen  does  the  eggs  under 
her  wings  ;  let  us  sit  upon  them,  and  take  the  same  pains,  and  something 
new  will  come  of  them." 

Mosheshe's  son  is  a  convert,  and  several  have  been  ad- 
mitted into  church  fellowship.     In   1840  they  had  a  large 


EXTENDED    OPERATIONS.  401 

number  of  candidates.  "  Thus,"  they  write,  "  the  hope  of 
the  missionary  has  not  been  deceived ;  for  under  the  influ- 
ence of  Christianity  there  has  been  effected  a  sensible  ame- 
horation  in  the  mind,  character,  and  manners  of  the  natives." 
Nor  can  we  overlook  the  remarkable  successes  which  have 
crowned  the  labours  of  Messrs.  Holland  and  Pellissier,  of  the 
same  Society,  located  among  the  Bechuanas  of  the  Caledon 
River. 

The  Wesleyans  had  laboured  among  the  Barolongs  alter- 
nately at  Makuase,  Platberg,  and  Boochap,  on  the  Yellow 
River,  and  eventually  removed  with  their  people  to  the 
Newlands,  in  the  country  of  the  Basutos.  Among  the  Ba- 
rolongs, Basutos,  Mantatees,  and  Corannas,  they  have  flour- 
ishing stations,  and  the  Divine  blessing  evidently  rests  upon 
their  labours.  Chapels  have  been  erected  at  all  the  prin- 
cipal places.  A  printing  press  is  in  operation,  the  work  of 
civilization  is  advancing,  and  youths  are  under  tuition  for  na- 
tive agency,  on  wliich  subjects  copious  information  is  before 
the  public. 

It  is  impossible  to  look  to  the  noble  band  of  Church,  Wes- 
leyan,  and  Baptist  missionaries,  on  the  west  coast,  without 
being  compelled  to  acknowledge  the  special  blessing  from  on 
high  which  has  rested  upon  their  labours  ;  and  to  admire  the 
zeal  of  these  men  of  God,  who,  with  their  lives  in  their 
hands,  venture  on  those  pestiferous  shores.  The  result  of 
their  truly  self-denying  labours  at  once  solves  the  problem : 
it  is  now  demonstrated  that  the  Gospel  can  transform  these 
aceldamas,  these  dens  of  crime,  weeping,  and  woe,  into 
abodes  of  purity,  happiness,  and  love. 

I  leave  these  details  of  missionary  labour  to  the  judgment 
of  the  reader,  who  must  now  be  in  some  measure  acquaint- 
ed with  the  character  and  extent  of  the  operations  of  the 
London  Mi.ssionary  Society,  as  well  as  those  of  others,  on 
behalf  of  the  greatly  injured  and  still  suffering  tribes  of 
Southern  Africa.  From  what  has  been  stated,  it  must  be  evi- 
dent, that  if  the  tribes  which  still  survive  the  devastations  to 
which  they  have  been  exposed,  are  to  be  saved  from  annihi- 
lation, it  must  be  by  the  difl'usion  of  the  Gospel.  It  is  om- 
nipotent ;  and  if  wc  had  only  a  tithe  of  the  money  which  is 
expended  on  the  defence  of  our  colonies  against  incursions 
of  barbarous  nations,  we  could  adopt  those  means  which, 
under  the  promised  blessing  of  Him  who  holdeth  the  reins 
of  universal  sway,  and  who  willeth  that  all  should  come  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth  and  be  saved,  would  bring  them 
under  the  reign  of  the  Prince  of  Peace.     And  melancholy 

34* 


402  HOPE    FOR    AFRICA. 

as  is  the  past  history  of  Africa,  we  are  fully  warranted  to  an- 
ticipate that  the  warlike  and  savage  tribes  of  that  immense 
continent  will  ere  long  present  a  scene,  in  the  intelligence, 
holiness,  and  happiness  of  its  regenerated  nations,  which  will 
far  exceed  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  those  who  have 
laboured,  and  are  still  labouring,  in  behalf  of  her  afflicted 
children.  If  we  bring  within  the  mind's  view  the  history  of 
that  vast  portion  of  our  earth, — to  only  one  speck  on  the  sur- 
face of  which  the  author  has  been  directing  the  attention  of 
the  reader, — can  we  refrain  from  exclaiming,  O  Africa  ! 
how  vast,  how  overwhelming  thy  burden  !  How  numberless 
thy  wrongs, — the  prey  of  fiendish  men, — the  world's  great 
mart  of  rapine,  bondage,  blood,  and  murder !  On  no  part 
of  earth's  surface,  in  no  state  or  condition  of  mankind,  can 
we  find  a  parallel  to  thy  woes!  Thy  skies  have  been  ob- 
scured with  smoke  of  towns  in  flames! — thy  lovely  land- 
scapes and  sunny  groves  transformed  to  lions'  dens  ! — thy 
burning  deserts  bedewed  with  the  agonizing  tears  of  bereav- 
ed  mothers! — and  thy  winds  have  re-echoed  back  to  thy 
blood-stained  soil  the  orphan's  cry,  the  widow's  wail! 

There  is  yet  hope  for  Africa  The  deep  groan  of  her  un- 
told sorrows  has  been  responded  to  by  the  sympathies  of  the 
British  heart.  Her  almost  boundless  plains  have  invited  the 
enterprise  of  nations ;  a  vast,  amount  of  property  has  been 
expended,  and  a  still  greater  sacrifice  of  life  and  talent  has 
been  made,  to  heal  her  bleeding  woimds ;  but  are  these  to 
suffice,  or  have  we  paid  the  debt  we  owe  ?  Are  we,  on 
slight  discouragement,  to  abandon  the  noble  project  of  Afri- 
ca's salvation?  Have  all  the  energies  which  have  been  em- 
ployed been  spent  in  vain?  Surely  not.  They  have  been 
the  developments  of  moral  worth,  the  results  of  Christian 
philanthropy.  We  have  thereby  become  better  acquainted 
with  her  real  condition,  more  conversant  with  her  wrongs, 
and  more  convinced  that  it  is  to  the  everlasting  Gospel 
we  must  look,  as  the  instrument  to  chase  away  the  mass  of 
darkness  brooding  on  her  bosom.  Yes,  her  unknown  regions 
must  be  explored  by  the  messengers  of  the  churches,  and  her 
vast  moral  wastes  must  be  watered  by  the  streams  of  life. 
The  truth  of  God  is  the  grand  engine  by  which  the  demon 
of  slavery  will  be  repelled  from  her  shores,  and  her  sable 
sons  and  daughters  made  to  sit  under  their  own  vine  and  fig- 
tree, — when  her  ransomed  millions  shall  reiterate  from  shore 
to  shore  her  jubilee. 

Yes  even  now  thy  beams 
Suffuse  the  twilight  of  the  nations.     Light 


THE   NIGER    EXPEDITION.  403 

Wakes  in  the  region  where  gross  darkness  veiled 
The  people.     They  who  in  death's  shadow  sat 
Shall  hail  that  glorious  rising  ;   for  the  shade 
Prophetic  shrinks  before  the  dawning  ray 
That  cast  it :  forms  of  earth  that  interposed 
Shall  vanish,  scattered  like  the  dusky  clouds 
Before  the  exultant  morn  ;  and  central  day, 
All  shadowless,  even  to  the  poles  shall  reign. 
Volume  of  God  !  thou  art  that  eastern  star 
Which  leads  to  Christ ;  soon  shall  thy  circuit  reach 
Round  earth's  circumference,  in  every  tongue, 
Revealijig  to  all  nations — what  the  heavens 
But  shadow  forth — the  glory  of  the  Lord.* 

Although  the  nohle  scheme  of  ascending  the  Nijrer,  for 
the  purpose  of  scattermg  the  blessings  of  peace  and  plenty 
in  the  centre  of  Africa,  has  in  a  measure  failed,  it  has  taught 
the  world  what  England  can  do,  and  what  she  is  ready  to  do 
again.  It  has  taught  the  Africans  that  their  cause  is  not 
forgotten  at  the  foot  of  the  British  throne,  and  that  it  has 
pledged  itself  to  encourage  every  project  calculated  to  bring 
about  the  anticipated  event,  when  Ethiopia  will  stretch 
forth  her  hands  unto  God.  This  subject  has  occupied  the 
attention  of  the  noblest  minds  in  our  kingdom,  and  the  ex- 
cellent of  the  earth  are  generally  agreed  that,  in  order  to 
civilize  we  must  evangelize  Africa.  Nothing  can  be  more 
to  the  point  than  the  following  extract  from  the  valuable 
work  on  the  Slave  Trade,  and  its  Remedy,  by  Sir  T.  F.  Bux- 
ton, who  has  so  longr  laboured  with  intense  interest  to  alio- 
viate  the  sad  condition  of  untutored  minds,  and  to  eradicate 
"  tliat  gigantic  and  accursed  tree  which  for  ages  has  nour- 
ished beneath  its  shadow,  lamentations,  mourning,  an(l 
woe."  "  Nationally  and  religiously  the  duty  is  plain,"  con- 
tinues that  great  philanthropist :  "  we  have  been  put  in  trust 
with  Christianity  ;  we  have  been  the  depositaries  of  a  pure 
and  holy  faith,  which  inculcates  the  most  expanded  benevo- 
lence ;  and  yet  have  not  only  neglected,  as  a  nation,  to  con- 
fer upon  Africa  any  real  benefit,  but  have  inflicted  upon  it  a 
positive  evil.  Covetousness  has  dimmed  our  moral  percep- 
tions of  duty,  and  paralysed  our  efforts  during  many  geneia- 
tions ;  and  now  that  the  nation  has  awakened  from  its 
lethargy,  it  is  high  time  to  act  up  to  the  principles  of  our 
religion. 

"  Africa  still  lies  in  her  blood.     She  wants  our  mis.<;iona- 

ries,  our  schoolmasters,  our   Bibles — all  the   machinery  we 

possess,  for  ameliorating  her  wretched  condition.     Shall  we, 

with  a  remedy  that  may  safely  be   applied,  neglect  to  heal 

♦  "  Star  in  the  East,"  by  Josiah  Conder,  Elsq. 


404  DUTY   OF    THE    CHURCH   OF    CHRIST. 

her  wounds  ?  Shall  we,  on  whom  the  lamp  of  life  shmes, 
refuse  to  disperse  her  darkness? 

"  If  there  be  any  consolation  in  Christ,  if  any  comfort  of 
love,  if  any  fellowship  of  the  Spirit,  if  any  bowels  of  mer- 
cies ;  we  must  awake  to  the  duty,  amidst  every  difficulty,  of 
freely  and  liberally  distributing  to  others  those  rich  and  abun- 
dant blessings  which  have  been  entrusted  to  us. 

"  Missionaries  find  less  difficulty  than  any  other  class  of 
persons,  perhaps,  in  winning  the  confidence  of  the  native 
tribes.  The  secret  of  their  success  is  the  spirit  of  fair  deal- 
ing, and  the  manifestation  of  upright  and  benevolent  inten- 
tions which  they  carry  with  them.  These  speak  to  all  men, 
but  especially  to  the  uncivilized,  in  a  language  which  they 
accurately  comprehend,  and  to  which  they  freely  respond." 

These  principles  .speak  for  themselves,  and  they  ought  to 
speak  ;  for  the  destinies  of  unborn  millions,  as  well  as  the 
millions  who  now  exist,  are  at  stake.  To  rescue  Africa  from 
the  abyss  of  misery  in  which  she  has  been  plunged,  as  the 
same  able  advocate  writes,  "  Let  missionaries  and  school- 
masters, the  plough  and  the  spade,  go  together,  and  agricul- 
ture will  flourish,  the  avenues  of  legitimate  commerce  will 
be  opened,  confidence  between  man  and  man  will  be  in- 
spired, whilst  civilization  will  advance  as  the  natural  effect, 
and  Christianity  operate  as  the  proximate  cause  of  the  hap- 
py change." 

The  preceding  chapters  show  what  has  been  accomplished 
among  the  tribes  in  the  southern  portions  of  this  vast  conti- 
nent. What  now  remains  to  be  done,  but  to  go  up  and  take 
possession  of  the  land  ?  The  means  have  been  described, 
and  our  prospects  are  inviting ;  avenues  have  been  opened 
up  ;  translations  of  the  word  of  God  have  been  made  into 
difterent  languages  ;*  a  native  agency  is  in  operation.  The 
once  en.slaved  negroes  of  the  slave-cultured  i.slands  of  the 
west,  unmanacled,  and  freemen  in  the  Lord,  are  now  ready 
to  go  and  proclaim  the  liberty  of  the  Gospel  to  their  captive 

*  Since  the  author  arrived  in  England,  he  has  been  enabled,  by  the 
munificence  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  to  carry  through 
the  press  a  translation  of  the  New  Testament  and  the  Psalms  in  the 
Sechuana  language,  some  thousands  of  which  have  been  sent  out  to  the 
interior  of  Southern  Africa,  to  supply  the  increasing  wants  of  a  people 
r:\pidly  acquiring  the  art  of  reading*  thousands  of  them  being  able 
already  to  read  in  their  own  language  the  wonderful  works  of  God.  A 
large  edition  of  the  Scripture  Lessons  has  also  been  printed,  the  whole 
expense  of  which  has  been  defrayed  by  a  number  of  the  Society  of 
Friends.  Numerous  elementary  works  and  tracts  have  emanated  from 
printing  presses  in  the  Bechuana  country. 


POTENCY   OF   THE    SCRIPTURES.  405 

brethren,  while  creation  is  groaning  for  her  redemption. 
We  are  warranted  to  expect,  from  what  has  aheady  occurred, 
great  and  glorious  results,  as  the  consequence  of  the  simple 
distribution  of  scriptural  truth,  and  the  influence  of  that  truth 
in  connexion  with  native  agency.  When  only  the  Gospel 
of  Luke*  was  printed  in  the  language,  and  the  first  edition  of 
Scripture  lessons  had  been  put  into  the  hands  of  the  natives, 
Mr.  Hughes,  writing  to  the  author  from  an  out-station,  made 
the  following  striking  remarks  : — 

"  The  good  work  here  is  making  progress.  What  has 
been  accomplished  by  feeble  means  (in  our  eyes)  makes  me 
exclaim,  'What  hath  God  wrought?'  The  sword  of  the 
Spirit  is  truly  in  unskilled  hands,  but  it  hath  shown  itself  two- 
edged.  Its  success  here  is  evidently  not  owing  to  the  hand 
that  wields  it,  but  to  its  own  native  power  and  destination 
from  above.  Jesus  and  the  apostles  teach  here  without  any 
human  infirmity  intruding  between  them  and  the  hearts  of 
the  hearer.  The  great  principles  of  the  Bible  Society  are 
exemphfied  here,  the  simple  reading  and  study  of  the  Bible 
alone  will  convert  the  world.  The  missionary's  work  is  to 
gain  for  it  admission  and  attention,  and  then  let  it  speak  for 
itself  The  simplicity  of  means  in  connexion  with  the  great- 
ness of  the  effect,  is  quite  in  character  with  its  Divine  Author. 
To  Him  be  all  the  praise.'' 

The  vast  importance  of  having  the  Scriptures  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  natives,  will  be  seen  when  we  look  on  the  scat- 
tered towns  and  hamlets  which  stud  the  interior,  over  which 
one  language,  witli  slight  variations,  is  spoken  as  far  as  the 
Equator.  When  taught  to  read  they  have  in  their  hands 
the  means  not  only  of  recov^ering  them  from  their  natural 
darkness,  but  of  keeping  the  lamp  of  life  burning  even  amidst 
comparatively  desert  gloom.  In  one  of  my  early  joiu*neys 
with  some  of  my  companions,  we  came  to  a  heathen  village 
on  the  banks  of  the  Orange  River,  between  Namaqua-land 
and  the  Griqua  country.  We  had  travelled  far,  and  were 
hungry,  thirsty,  and  fatigued.  From  the  fear  of  being  ex- 
posed to  lions,  we  preferred  remaining  at  the  village  to  pro- 
ceedinfj  diuinfj  the  nijjht. 

o  o  c? 

The  people  at  the  village  rather  roughly  directed  us  to 
halt  at  a  distance.  We  asked  water,  but  they  would  not 
supply  it.  I  offered  the  three  or  four  buttons  which  still  re- 
mained on  my  jacket  for  a  little  milk  ;  this  also  was  refused. 
We  had  the  prospect  of  another  hungry  night  at  a  distance 
from  water,  though  within  sight  of  the  river.  We  found  it 
difficult  to  reconcile  ourselves   to  our  lot,  for  in  addition  to 


406  CHRISTIAN    HOSPITALITY. 

repeated  rebuffs,  the  manner  of  the  villagers  excited  sus- 
picion. When  twilight  drew  on,  a  woman  approached  from 
the  height  beyond  which  the  village  lay.  She  bore  on  her 
head  a  bundle  of  wood,  and  had  a  vessel  of  milk  in  her 
liand.  The  latter,  without  opening  her  lips,  she  handed  to 
us,  laid  down  the  wood,  and  returned  to  the  village.  A 
second  time  she  approached  with  a  cooking  vessel  on  her 
head,  and  a  leg  of  mutton  in  one  hand,  and  water  in  the 
other.  She  sat  down  without  saying  a  word,  prepared  the 
fire,  and  put  on  the  meat.  We  asked  her  again  and  again 
who  she  was.  She  remained  silent  till  affectionately  en- 
treated to  give  us  a  reason  for  such  unlooked  for  kindness  to 
strangers.  The  solitary  tear  stole  down  her  sable  cheek, 
when  she  replied,  "  I  love  Him  whose  servant  you  are,  and 
surely  it  is  my  duty  to  give  you  a  cup  of  cold  water  in  his 
name.  My  heart  is  full,  therefore  I  cannot  speak  the  joy  I 
feel  to  see  you  in  this  out-of-the -world  place."  On  learning 
a  little  of  her  history,  and  that  she  was  a  solitary  light  burn- 
ing in  a  dark  place,  I  asked  her  how  she  kept  up  the  life  of 
God  in  her  soul  in  the  entire  absence  of  the  communion  of 
saints.  She  drew  from  her  bosom  a  copy  of  the  Dutch  New 
Testament,  which  she  had  received  from  Mr.  Helm  when 
in  his  school  some  years  previous,  before  she  had  been  com- 
pelled by  her  connexions  to  retire  to  her  present  seclusion. 
"  This,"  she  said,  "  is  the  fountain  whence  I  drink  ;  this  is 
the  oil  which  makes  my  lamp  burn."  I  looked  on  the  pre- 
cious relic,  printed  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
and  the  reader  may  conceive  how  I  felt  and  my  believing 
companions  with  me,  when  we  met  with  this  disciple,  and 
mingled  our  sympathies  and  prayers  together  at  the  throne 
of  our  heavenly  Father.     Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 

AND   ON    earth    PEACE,    GOOD    WILL    TO    MEN  ! 


THE    END. 


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